Glory Is A Heavy Burden
by Chosen Undead27
Summary: With the reapers gone Shepard can finally live out the rest of his life peacefully, or can he. (Miranda and Shepard pairing) The title is taken from a quote by Orianna Fallaci. Warning, contains extreme violence and sexual themes. You have been warned.
1. Hold on

"Admiral Hackett," Miranda raised her voice in protest "We have to go look for Commander Shepard!"

"We don't know where he is, or if he is even alive." Hackett reminded the ex-operative.

"If we don't look for him, he will be dead for sure." Miranda retorted.

"Ms. Lawson I can't allow personal emotions to cloud my judgments. The Shuttles are needed to rescue the people we know will survive."

"So that's it?" Miranda said with an icy tone.

"Yes," Hackett replied.

Miranda turned to leave until Hackett's old gruff voice caught her attention.

"However Ms. Lawson, if a shuttle was to go missing… well I wouldn't have enough people to go looking for said shuttle." Hackett said as he gave Miranda a knowing smile.

Miranda reflected the smile before she turned around and headed out the doors. Lawson walked down the hallways with a new vigor, she had a mission and she was going to complete it.

Miranda walked into the hangar cautiously, scanning the area with her eyes. There were a few guards and pilots standing around preparing to fly out.

" _I need a distraction"_ Miranda thought silently _"There is no way that I can take off with..._ "

The power suddenly went out, stopping Miranda's train of thought. The guards seemed to panic for a couple of seconds, confused by the sudden darkness. Lawson could hear a woman's voice yelling at the idle soldiers, causing them to scramble. " _That's bizarre, well at least I have my distraction._ "

Miranda ran silently to a nearby shuttle and used her Omni-tool to hack the passenger door open. Once the door opened Miranda was greeted by a familiar face. "Ms. Lawson?" The woman sitting in the driver seat greeted with inquisitive voice. "Ms. Williams." Miranda greeted back emotionlessly.

"What are you doing here?" Ashley asked, disdain leeching into her voice.

"I could ask you the same thing." Miranda retorted with an icy tone.

"I work here. You're as ex-Cerberus operative, why are you here?"

"Why did you turn off the lights and order the hangar personal away?" Miranda asked innocently. "Seems like the type of thing a traitor would do."

The hangar's lights turned back on, signaling that the personal would be back soon.

"I don't have to explain myself to you." Ashley Whispered angrily, as she went to close the door.

"If you leave me here he will die!" Miranda yelled out urgently.

Ashley stopped and waited for Lawson to explain herself.

"You may have medical training but you don't know Shepard's body like I do, I bloody rebuilt the man." Miranda spoke rapidly

"If I'm not there…" Miranda drifter off mid-sentence, as if finishing the very words could kill the man she spoke of.

The sounds of people talking in the distance kissed the ears of the bickering women.

"Just, get in already." Ashley sighed.

Miranda got into the passenger seat silently.

"I'm keeping my eyes on you Lawson."

Miranda ignored Ashley as they started up the shuttle and left the hangar.

Shepard lied uncomfortably on a pile of rubble, staring into the clear sky. The Shepard felt so tired; it had been such a long time since he had nothing to worry about, no immediate threat to face.

Shepard coughed causing a metallic taste to form in his mouth. He could feel it within him; this is how he would die. The commander would finally join all of those he lost to the vicissitudes of fate, the team on Akuze, Kaidan, Anderson, Mordin, and lastly his mother.

John smiled to himself, his mom would be so proud of him. From a gangster living in Vancouver to a galactic hero, Shepard had come a long way, only to fall down so far.

" _Had to be me, someone else might have gotten it wrong._ " Shepard thought back to Mordin's last words. Maybe this was how it was supposed to end. Shepard was not cut out for a civilian life, he struggled and fought all his life, weather it was another gang or the reapers. It was a fool's idea for him to settle down with Miranda, but he didn't care. Shepard still wanted the life that he and Miranda were going to have together, whatever that would be like. Would they have children? What civilian jobs were they going to have? They both wanted a normal life, but would they have been able to pull it off?

" _Probably not, but I don't care, I still wanted to try._ " Shepard thought as he spat out blood that had accumulated in his mouth.

" _Forgive the insubordination, but this old friend has an order for you. Go out there and give them hell. You were born to do this._ " Shepard chuckled, remembering Garrus's "orders".

" _I gave them more then hell, I killed every single fucking one of them._ " Shepard mused to himself.

Maybe he was born to do this, born to die saving the galaxy. The somber thought was the only thing that kept him calm. As the war with the reapers slowly started to fall apart into despair, so did Shepard's plans. The commander as ways felt like he was going to die in this war, but it was still not part of his plan.

" _Shepard, am I still part of your plan? It's been so long, I wasn't sure where we stood._ " Miranda had asked Shepard when they were reunited on the citadel.

From the moment they found each other, she had become part of his plan. Before Miranda was in his life Shepard never had a plan, he was going to serve in the alliance until the day he died. But now he wanted more, he wanted a "normal" life with the woman he loved.

" _No space heroes or super-spies?_ " Miranda's voice rang in the commander's head.

"No, no more space heroes or super-spies." Shepard thought out loud, a smile creeping onto his face.

" _No second thoughts? This is your chance to back out._ " Shepard heard Miranda's voice again.

"None." The dying man said out loud. Shepard was delusional and he knew it, but he didn't care.

The commander looked around as much as he could. The sky was a soft and clear blue; the colour soothed him and took his mind off of the rubble around him.

" _I wish I was there, with you._ " Shepard could hear Miranda once again.

He ignored the voice this time. Shepard was glad that she was not here. It gave him hope; hope that his beautiful girlfriend would live out her life in freedom, doing what she wanted to do.

Shepard's eyes started to feel heavier and heavier.

" _Not sure if Turian heaven is the same as yours, but if this thing goes sideways and we both end up there... meet me at the bar._ " Shepard could hear Garrus's voice. The commander never believed in god but he still promised that he would be there.

"I guess I will be waiting for you there." Shepard joked out loud before his eye slowly closed.

"What do you expect to gain from this Lawson?" Ashley spoke out loud as the shuttle landed at Shepard's last known location.

"A living Shepard." Miranda answered coldly, hiding her inner emotions. She was freaking out but she would never show that on the surface.

"You know that's not what I meant." Ashley said, vexed at her smart-assed company.

"It's what you asked."

Ashley chuckled as she got out of the shuttle. "You think he is going to stay with you."

"You know about us, so much for personal privacy." Miranda deadpanned, she knew Shepard loved her; she did not need to prove that to Williams.

Ashley started to laugh. "I used to think he loved you because of how "perfect" you are." Ashley said in lighter tone than normal. "You have the body, the face, a sassy attitude, and you are a very strong woman." Ashley continued. "Then I found out, that you are broken," Ashley's voice darkened before chuckling a little. "The Illusive man leak the information that you, Ms. Perfect, are infertile" Ashley smiled lightly.

Miranda was shocked. " _How did the Illusive man learn about that? I used a private account, how the bloody hell did he find out?_ " Miranda raved inside her head.

"At least I didn't leave him when he was at a low point in his life." Miranda shot back with an icy tone.

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean!" Ashley raised her voice.

"What, did you already forget about the damage you did on freedom's progress?"

"We moved past that." Ashley said quietly.

"Is that what you call getting kicked off the Normandy?" Miranda smiled as the question cut the lieutenant like a knife.

"The only reason he is loyal to you is because you opened your legs for him, there is no way he would fall for Cerberus whore." Ashley hissed.

"This is pointless, we have to find Shepard!" Miranda was growing tired of Ashley's childish jealousy.

"I agree, but knowing what you did to him he is probably fine." Ashley said in a snarky tone.

"What does that mean?" Miranda asked in a venomous tone.

"How much of Shepard is actually human?" Ashley questioned

A rapid banging noise caught the attention of both women; Miranda sprang into action and ran towards the noise, calling out to Shepard.

The commander breathed in deeply, tasting blood as the air entered his lungs. The calm he felt before started to extinguish like a fire. Shepard was angry, he warned everyone so many fucking times about the reapers and they ignored him, and now he was dying in a pool of his own blood.

" _All the fucking evidence and warnings and I still end up being the one that pays for their ignorance._ " Shepard raved to himself, only to be met with silence.

"They don't even send someone to find me." Shepard chuckled to himself. "Maybe no one needs me anymore."

" _I do. So don't die! You promise me, Damn it!_ " Miranda's voice rang in his head.

That was the only thing he was truly going regret, breaking Miranda's heart.

" _Then Finish this, Shepard, and find me._ " The Australian voice said, almost as if she was here and knew what he was feeling.

"I'm sorry, but I don't think I will be able …" Shepard stopped talking when he heard faint voices in the distance.

Shepard tried desperately to yell out to the distant people but he couldn't, he was too out of breath.

" _No, no, no, no! You will not give up now, you own her that._ " Shepard thought to himself.

Shepard writhed in a futile attempt to slip out from the bolder. The commander would not give up now, Shepard tried to use his free hand to roll the bolder off of him, but it would not budge.

" _Fuck!_ " Shepard cursed mentally, all he had managed to do was cause even more bleeding.

The commander rolled his head to the side, he was sick of looking at that fucking sky; it was filled with hope that was forbidden to him.

Shepard's blood lost was sever, he was reaching his breaking point, but he did not care, because on the pavement beside him was Miranda. Shepard knew she was a hallucination but he could not care any less. Miranda was beautiful, peaceful and happy looking like the day they woke up together in the apartment on the Citadel.

Shepard reached out to touch her but she disappeared as his hand went through her, and touched a cold metal pole.

Shepard smiled at the metal rod. "I'm coming Miranda." Shepard mused to himself as he smashed the rod onto the bricks beside him.

Miranda and Ashley ran through the ruble of the buildings towards the banging. Even with all of Ashley's training she found it hard to keep up to the ex-Cerberus operative.

" _How the hell is she doing this in heels?_ " Ashley thought quietly as she tried to keep up with Miranda.

Miranda ran as fast as possible towards the sound, she had to find him. Lawson jumped over a pile of rocks as she got closer and closer to the banging sound. Miranda ran towards the sound until she was almost right on top of it, and saw the bloodied man.

"John!" Miranda yelled as she ran to Shepard's side.

Miranda used her biotics to remove the three large boulders that were pining Shepard down.

"Miranda?" Shepard's weak voice was like music to her ears, he was alive.

Ashley finally caught up to Miranda and saw Shepard covered in his own blood. Ashley suspected that the commander would be roughened up a little bit, but she was not ready for this.

"Williams call a medic, now!" Miranda yelled at the Idle Woman. Ashley backed away as she began to call for help.

Shepard chuckled lightly, gaining Miranda attention.

"I'm… sorry. I kind of… destroyed you work. " Shepard's weak voice barley kissed Miranda's ears.

Miranda gave Shepard a sad smile as she scanned Shepard's body with her omni-tool. "I think I can forgive you, if you don't die on me."

" _A punctured lung and half of his cybernetics are shutting down, damn it._ " Miranda thought as she looked at the scans. " _I need to get his armor off._ "

"I got the First Aid kit from the shuttle." Ashley hollered as she ran toward Miranda.

"Good," Miranda replied "Come help me talk of his armor."

Ashley and Miranda began to unbuckle the ablative ceramic plates of Shepard's body armor.

"Miranda…"The commander spoke out weakly.

"Shepard, please just try to rest." Miranda interrupted in a soft and kind voice.

"Miri," Miranda froze slightly at the sound of her childhood nick name. "If I don't make it…"

"John, don't talk like that damn it!" Miranda scolded.

"We have to cut off the under suit." Ashley interjected as she pulled out a combat knife. Miranda nodded in response.

"Miranda," Shepard spoke out again, he had to tell her.

"Shepard…" Miranda tried to interrupt.

Shepard pressed a bloodied and glove finger to her lips. He had to tell her, it was the only way he could die peacefully.

"Miranda, I love you."

Miranda's eyes started to tear up. She always thought of saying those three words to him, but she could never say them out loud. Miranda and Shepard knew that they cared deeply for each other, but neither of them had said those magical words.

Tears started to fall from Miranda's light blue eyes, as she stared deeply into Shepard's loving blue eyes. John was the only man who ever told her that they loved her, even when he found the real her. And now he was dying in her arms.

Miranda knew she loved Shepard ever since he went back to the alliance, those where the hardest two months she ever experienced. During those two months Miranda learned how much she truly loved Shepard; she missed his touch, his lips, his smile, his eyes, she missed everything about him. Yet she never told him how much he matter to her.

Miranda spent years building walls around herself in order to protect herself and Oriana, and with three words Shepard destroyed those walls. Miranda no longer cared who or what was watching her.

"I love you too. So don't die! You promise me, Damn it!" Miranda said with a smile, tears dripping from her eyes.

"Lawson," Ashley interrupted the couple's moment. "I made it through the suit, it doesn't… look good."

Miranda's eyes immediately turned towards Shepard's exposed chest. "Shit." Miranda muttered to herself.

Shepard had a large gash that ran diagonally across the left side of his chest. The cut bubbled with every breath Shepard took.

"Williams, get medi gel, gaze, and tape STAT!" Miranda shouted with a certain sense of hast that made Ashley obey her orders.

Miranda grabbed the medi gel and gaze from Ashley, leaving the tape in Williams idle hands. Miranda smeared a layer of medi gel onto the gaze and press in to Shepard's laceration.

"Williams, pass me the tape." Miranda order the lieutenant, Ashley complied immediately.

Ashley was still stunned, she was unable to believe the state the great commander Shepard was in. Williams always saw Shepard as an invincible force, yet the very man was lying in a pool of his own blood, right in front of her.

Miranda taped the gaze tightly to Shepard's chest, stopping the air from escaping his chest cavity.

"Lawson! Shepard is unconscious." Ashley yelled, forcing Miranda's eyes off of Shepard's chest wound and on to his pale face.

"Give him a shot of adrenalin." Miranda replied as urgency and stress blocked out the sounds of a shuttle landing nearby.

Ashley rammed the needle in to Shepard's exposed skin, causing Shepard to cry out in pain.

"Shepard, please stay with me… I need you." Miranda spoke silently as fresh tears rolled down her cheeks.

Shepard didn't say a word as he ripped his dog tags off of his neck and handed them to Miranda.

"Lawson, we have to go!" Ashley shouted gaining the operative's attention.

Miranda looked around and noticed that she was surrounded by alliance medics, which were desperately trying to pull her away from Shepard. Lawson quickly leaned down and kissed Shepard's bloodied lips before she let the medics take him away.

The medical team and Williams yelled to each about directions or something, Miranda couldn't tell nor did she care, all she could focus on was Shepard being lifted into the back of a medical shuttle.


	2. Hospitalized

Miranda jumped out of the passenger seat before the shuttle even had enough time to land properly, she had to get back to John. Lawson almost ran in an attempt to catch up to the stretcher that carried the man she loved so much.

" _Get a hold of yourself Miranda. You need to keep your emotions in check."_ The ex-operative thought silently to herself, she slowed down to a walking speed before she entered the alliance hospital.

"Miss Lawson," A woman's voice called out to Miranda as she got further into the emergency room.

Miranda turned towards the feminine voice.

"I'm Dr Michel." The woman greeted as she saw Miranda's inquisitive face. "Admiral Hackett has filled me in on who you are."

"Then you know that I should be operating on Shepard." Lawson responded swiftly.

"Normally, I would agree with that course of action." Dr Michel's eyes slowly drifted towards Miranda's hands. "But in your current condition, I could not allow that."

Miranda hesitantly looked down at her trembling hands. The ex-operative knew that she was in no condition to operate. A surgeon with trembling hands was a one way ticket to death.

"But I'm the only one who knows how to save Shepard." Lawson spoke calmly, but on the inside she was in full panic mode.

"Admiral Hackett warned me about the possibility of this problem already." Dr Michel said calmly before she broke into a light smile. "And I already have a solution," Dr Michel waved at a nearby nurse who was carrying a tablet. "We have out fitted our best surgeons with cameras and microphones."

The nurse handed Michel the tablet.

"This tablet will allow you to see what the Surgeons are doing and allow you to guide them through the surgery." The Doctor explained as she handed Miranda the tablet, still leaving a hand on the device.

"Do you think you can handle that?" Michel questioned.

"Yes," Miranda responded with a confident nod, taking the tablet into her hands. "I can handle this"

"Good... because we are almost out of options." Michel spoke darkly.

 **Eight hours later...**

Miranda and Ashley sat across from each other in the silent waiting room, both deep in thought.

Miranda went over Shepard's surgery in her head nearly twenty times in the past half hour.

" _He will be fine, he's a strong man, and he has lived through worse._ " Miranda thought silently as she played with Shepard's dog tags, trying to comfort herself as she continued to think the surgery over.

" _What the hell were they thinking, letting Lawson dig around in Shepard's brain?"_ Ashley thought in anger. " _She probably programmed him to be her personal fuck toy._ " Williams started to stare blankly at the floor. " _Please be okay skipper._ "

Miranda's Omni-tool beeped pulling Lawson and Williams from their thoughts.

"Does the Illusive man want his stripper to report in?" Ashley asked snidely.

The ex-operative rolled her eyes, now was not time to fight with Williams. Lawson scrolled through her notifications and found the new text message from Oriana.

 **Oriana:** Miranda, are you okay? You promised you were going to message me once you were done fighting and you haven't messaged me.

" _Shit, Oriana is probably freaking out right now._ " Miranda thought silently as she began to type a response to her sister.

 **Miranda:** Sorry I got caught up with something, I'm at a hospital right now. I'm not sure when I will be back home.

 **Oriana:** Oh my god, is Shepard okay?

" _How the hell did she know Shepard was hurt?_ " Miranda thought inquisitively as she stared at her Omi-tool.

 **Miranda:** How did you know Shepard was hurt?

 **Oriana:** Well, you're at a hospital and you aren't injured, so that means you are there for someone else. The fact that you forgot your promise reminds me of how you dropped whatever you were doing when you heard Shepard's name on the extranet, you are very taken by him.

Miranda blushed lightly as she read the message.

Lawson clutched the dog tags that hung around her neck. Miranda ran her thumb over the name engraved onto the metal. The ex-Cerberus operative was surprised by how attached she had become. Miranda never thought she was capable of loving or being loved by someone so much. Of course she always cared for Oriana but with Shepard it was different... it changed everything.

 **Miranda:** That was very astute of you.

 **Oriana:** Ha ha you know I'm as smart as you are. Do you think we can video chat latter? I need to talk to you about something.

 **Miranda:** Of course we can, I will call you once I'm somewhere more private.

Lawson closed then messaging app on her Omni-tool with a small grin. Miranda was happy that Oriana cared enough to check on her.

"Did you worry?" Miranda had asked Shepard when they met up at Sanctuary.

"Of course I worried."

Miranda was so happy with his answer she thought she was crazy, she was injured and Oriana was upset... yet she still felt happy, knowing how much she meant to him.

"What the fuck are you so happy about?" Ashley spoke in a hushed and venomous manner, the same manner a snake would if it could talk. "Did you program Shepard to fuck your brains out like a mindless robot?"

Miranda wanted to retaliate but the noise of a small child laughing distracted her.

Lawson and Williams turned towards the sounds of the laughter that were coming closer to the waiting room.

A small boy entered the waiting room with bowls plates and other various objects stuck and tied onto him. The young child approach Miranda with a whimsical smile. The ex-operative smiled lightly at the young boy, unsure of what else to do.

"Hello, I'm Commander Shepard." The boy greeted Miranda in a playful yet serious tone.

"Hello Commander Shepard, I'm Miranda." Lawson replied cheerfully, playing into the child's world of fantasy.

The boy's face turned really serious as he looked Lawson in the eyes. "I need your help, Miranda."

Miranda's face became concerned as Ashley started to pay more attention to the child.

"What's wrong?" Miranda asked in a motherly tone, that even Lawson herself didn't know she had.

"There is a thresher maw after me." The child's tone was still very serious. "His name is Craig."

Williams and Lawson started to laugh at the small child's predicament, drowning out the sounds of footsteps nearby.

"Damian!" The voice of a young man called out from the hallway.

The young boy grabbed Miranda's leg and shook it gently with his small and tiny hand, gaining her attention.

"We have to hide." The child spoke in a panicked manner, as the sounds of footsteps in the nearby hallway grew louder.

"Hide?" Miranda asked in a playful manner. "I don't think Commander Shepard would hide from a simple Thresher maw."

"He- I mean, I wouldn't?"

"Commander Shepard doesn't run away from something just because it's hard or scary." Miranda proclaimed with pride in her voice. Lawson was proud of who Shepard was, and what he stood for. The ex-operative was happy that he was hers, and in return she was his.

"The commander fights for what's right, regardless of his own well being." Miranda smiled lightly. Lawson always hated and loved that part about him, she admired that he would always do what was right but she always feared for his life when he fought against impossible odds.

The boy smiled briefly before speaking in a brittle voice. "That's why the monsters are gone."

The boys tone worried Miranda; she could hear a darkness lurking within the child's voice.

"There you are Damian." A young nurse enters the waiting room with a worried expression on his face. "I have been looking all over for you."

"Sorry Craig." The child apologises bashfully.

"It's alright buddy, just don't run off again."

The young nurse looks up from the child and looks at the two women sitting before him.

"I hope Damian didn't bother you two beautiful women." Craig said with as much charm as he could muster.

"He didn't bother us at all." Ashley stated bluntly.

"I would have to agree, I quite enjoyed his presence." Miranda stated happily as she ruffled the child's hair, causing the small child to smile at her.

"Well I would quite enjoy your presence over dinner. Ms... ?" Craig flirted with Miranda in an innocent manner.

Miranda's smile disappeared. "I'm taken. Also I'm too old for you." Miranda replied with a bothered tone.

Craig laughed lightly. "The first reason makes sense, but you being too old for me... I doubt it; you look like you're in your twenties."

"I'm thirty six." Miranda dead panned.

Craig looked shock for a brief second. "Oh... I, um... Damian lets go get you some food." The nurse said awkwardly before leaving quickly with the small child.

" _What the fuck, Lawson is thirty six."_ Ashley raved to herself silently _"I'm younger than her and a real person, yet Shepard admitted to loving her and not me._ "

"Ms. Lawson, can I speak to you in private." Dr. Michel called out as she entered the waiting room.

Williams mutter various obscenities as Lawson quickly got out of her chair and walked quickly toward the doctor.

"Is he alright, can I see him?" Miranda spoke quickly once she made it over to the doctor.

"He is stable and a adjusting to the cybernetics, you probably saved his life." Michel stated in a troubled tone. "However we did a brain scan and the results are quite troubling."

Michel reaches into the folder that was in her hands and handed Lawson the brain scan.

Miranda studied the brain scan carefully with a troubled look "Shepard's hippocampus and prefrontal cortex have shrunken, while his amygdala has grown larger. He's either stressed or depressed."

Michel nodded sadly. "Exactly, I'm thinking that it is only related to the current war, but nonetheless this could severely complicate his recovery. Shepard's body-"

"Will be vulnerable to infection and his body will also have a slower recovery, I know this already." Miranda finished the sentence with an impatient and icy tone.

"Can I please see him now?" Lawson asked again with urgency.

The doctor sighed. "Normally we only allow the families in, but considering you are the only person here that is mentioned in his file-"

"Wait, what do you mean I'm the only person mentioned on his file, that's not possible." Miranda interrupted as a shocked expression crossed her face.

"I found that quite interesting myself actually." Michel started. "It's amazing his file passed approval. Shepard's only emergency contact is the System Alliance."

Lawson raised an eyebrow, deep in thought. "That's peculiar, how did you find my name though."

"It's one of the only two people on his will."

Miranda raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Who was the other person?"

"Garrus Vakarian," Michel laughed lightly. "Shepard willed him a sniper rifle."

Lawson looked down at the floor as she unconsciously played with the dog tags around her neck.

"If it makes you feel any better," Michel started in a comforting voice. "He left you almost everything he owned, granted that's not a very long list. You mean allot to him."

Miranda sighed "telling me where he is would make me feel better." An icy tone oozed into her voice.

"Alright, go down the hallway, then take a left, he will be in room twenty seven." Michel remained calm as she told Lawson the directions.

"Thank you." Lawson muttered as she went down the hallway.

Miranda's hands shook as she headed toward Shepard's room.

"What is wrong with me, I need to get control of myself." The ex-operative muttered angrily to herself.

" _What idiotic bunch of hormones thought that now was a great time for love?_ " Miranda had questioned before that attack on the collectors.

" _It_ _doesn't matter. What matters is how we feel._ " Shepard had responded in a strong and confident voice.

" _Damn it._ " Miranda knew he was right, what they had was real, and she wanted to pursue it.

"Come on, Miranda. You want this." Shepard was right. She longed for it actually, to feel the warmth of his touch and the tenderness of his lips.

" _I do. So don't die! You promise me, Damn it!_ "

" _It doesn't work that way. We could all be dead this time tomorrow. So if it's not worth it..._ " Shepard's words trailed off slowly.

Lawson couldn't stop herself from getting up off the bed and embracing the commander in a hug.

" _No. It is_." Miranda whispered into Shepard's shoulder.

The commander would never lie to her, He knew the risks and he wasn't going to ignore what could happen.

Lawson froze as she reached the door.

" _Maybe Williams is right._ " Doubt crossed Miranda's mind as she inched closer to the door. " _If Shepard wants kids..._ "

Lawson sighed as she looked at the door's green light.

" _I can't give Shepard kids, even if I want them myself. Why am I doing this to myself?_ "

Miranda touched the dog tags around her neck.

" _I care about you Miranda, and I think you care about me._ " Miranda smiled as she remembered the words Shepard spoke to her. "I can't admire your body or your mind. You give your father way too much credit. Yeah, he gave you gifts, but you can be proud of what you've done with them."

Lawson shook her head with a smile.

" _Why am I doubting him? Shepard has always been caring and understanding. He would never harm me._ " Miranda thought to herself as she entered the room.

Miranda breathed out in relief as she walked into Shepard's room.

There he was, her John, lying soundlessly on the bed.

A single tear escaped Lawson's eye as she continued to look at Shepard.

Shepard was finally safe with her. Miranda was terrified when Shepard was flagged as missing in action. The thought of losing him and the future they both wanted together. Lawson was sickened by how they treated Shepard, he had warned everyone about the reapers so many times and they never listened, and when he finally saved their ignorant asses, they left him to die.

Miranda grabbed a nearby chair and moved it to the right side of Shepard's bed.

Lawson stared at Shepard's unresponsive face. To a normal person it may have appeared that Shepard was unaware of what was going on around him, but the ex-operative knew better. The medical field had widely accepted that, patients in a comatose state could hear, and sometimes feel what was going on around them.

Miranda reached out to hold Shepard's right hand.

"Shepard," Miranda's voice was soft and full of care and love. "I wanted you to know that I'm here for you, John. I will always stand by your side, no matter what." Miranda squeezed Shepard's hand. "Shepard, I... lo-love you so much." Lawson's voice became strained as tears started to fall from her eyes. "Damn it." Miranda cursed as she dried her eyes with her right hand before clearing her throat. "You and Oriana are the most important things in my life, so please fight this."

Miranda searched Shepard's face for any sign of a response, even a twitch would make the ex-operative happy.

Lawson was met with stillness and she began to think that maybe he couldn't hear her, or that maybe he was in so much pain he couldn't move, but then she felt it. Shepard's hand squeezed Miranda's lightly, almost as if he was trying to tell her that he understood her.

The ex-operative smiled lightly, Shepard was going to be okay, and when he woke up... she would be right here, waiting for him, waiting to start their new lives together, whatever that maybe.

 **AN: Hello, I hope you enjoyed the new chapter of my story. Please feel free to leave a review or correct me on any grammar, spelling or lore related issues that are present in this story. Also, feel free to give me any constructive criticism that you may have. And lastly, if you are interested in what I'm working on check my profile.**

 **Sincerely: Chosen Undead27**


	3. The past

**AN: This chapter is way shorter that I originally planned; the reason for this is that I added an OC. The problem with this is that I made an OC that not many people chose to write about in depth (at least from what I have seen). So, I made this chapter shorter so I can get an idea of what people think about the OC. I would like honest feedback because this OC heavily influences Shepard's back story. However with that being said I have made up another OC that I can use if people do not like the one I have created. Thank you for reading.**

 **Sincerely: Chosen Undead27**

 **Normandy crash site...**

Garrus inhaled deeply. Although the Turian and all of his squad mates were stuck on a foreign planet he felt... calm. The air was clean and tasted like the definition of purity. The battle hardened Turian felt like he was in another dimension, as if he had left the plane of the living, and now existed solely within the spirit of the forest around him. Yet, in his endoskeleton he felt as if he did not belong here, the creaking of the trees and the cries of animals in the distance seemed to be screaming at him, _you are not at home here_.

Garrus gingerly touched his bandaged arm. " _You better have made it out of there Shepard._ " Garrus thought silently.

 **The dark woods of ruination...**

The thick scent of decay hung in the air like the very cold that bit at Shepard's face. The vision of the woods had become so familiar to Shepard, yet it still felt foreign and hostile to the human specter.

"John ..." An angry whisper called out from the abyss of the forest.

The voice was familiar to the commander and inspired a sense of fear, hatred, and sadness into the fully grown man.

"John." The voice called out once again brandishing the same tone of anger.

The voice was that of a man, it was so familiar yet... it seemed like the memories that it held had been washed away by the tides of time.

"John!" The man's voice echoed through the forest as it fumed in the darkness.

The voice and tone were so familiar to the commander. Shepard knew who the voice belonged to but... " _No,_ " Shepard thought to himself. " _It's not possible._ "

"Dad..." Shepard called out cautiously. Fear racked the commander's body as he was met with a deafening silence.

"Son," The voice called out from behind John as he turned to meet his father's face.

Frank Shepard, father of John Shepard now stood before his son, his savagely cut face bled steadily as he stared at his son with anger.

"What did I tell you about playing the hero?!" Frank's word cut into Shepard like the cleaver that had savagely beaten his father's face.

"Are you listening to me?!" John's father questioned with disdain.

The commander backed away slowly like a kicked dog.

"I told you this would happen." Frank's voice had become softer. "You are dying John, and you know what? No one gives a flying fuck!" Frank's voice rose to a shout once again before breaking into a laugh. "You did your job like a slave, and now... no one needs you John."

"Miranda..." John's words were cut short by his father.

"Miranda did what?" Frank interrogated his son; the sound of disdain was still prevalent in frank's voice. "What, do you think she needs you? Only people in a crisis need a hero."

Frank moved further from the woods as he laughed once again. "Do you know what's funny about that?"

John remained silent, still gripped by hatred and fear.

"No? Alright, I will explain the punch line." Frank's voice still held a humours yet darkening tone. "Miranda was in a crisis, she needed you to save her sister and now... she no longer needs you because you saved her."

Frank was taken over by a fit of laughter that nearly brought him to the floor.

"Don't you get it John? You saved Miranda, you made her happy. Yet, when you're the one who needs help, not even she comes to help you." Frank's voice became harsh and full of disdain. "When their cards are down they will bring you back from the dead, but once it's over, they will eat you alive... like a pack of animals."

There was a long a silent pause before Frank muttered that one sentence he loved so much. "If only you were more like your brother."

"Family look out for each other, something you and Michael seemed to forget." John broke his silence as hatred flooded his veins.

Frank laugh loudly causing the deep cuts on his face to contort weirdly, Franks bleeding increased as the wounds contorted. The air was now thick with the scent of Frank's blood.

His father's laugh sickened Shepard; for it was not the laugh of a caring father... it was a laugh of a psychopath.

"Yeah," Frank managed to say as he whipped blood and tears. "Where is your mom and little sister now Johnny?" Frank chuckled lightly.

"That's not my name, father." Shepard avoided the question as vexation oozed into his very being.

"Where are they, John!" Frank said impatiently.

"Dead."

There was a heavy silence as Frank glare triumphantly at John.

"Don't you get it?" Frank broke the silence with a calm yet cocky voice. "You will always be alone."

Then as quickly as it left the deafening silence came back and loomed around John, like the invisible Shadow of death that had enveloped him once before.

The air grew cold and the smell of decay grew stronger as the commander felt more and more alone.

"Shepard," A soft and loving yet strong voice called out faintly from behind John.

The human spectre smiled lightly at the voice, for he knew it well.

It was the same voice that stayed by his side ever since it was first put there, the same voice that he had longed to hear when he was being monitored by the Alliance, the same voice that said _I love you_ , while he bled out onto the concrete.

" _It can't be her._ " John thought to himself.

"I wanted you to know that I'm here for you," The loving Australian voice spoke out of the darkness once again. "John."

The commander turned around as fast as he could, no longer able to deny the existence of the one he loved.

"Miranda...?" John said in disbelief as he saw her beautiful face.

"John she's not real," Frank spoke swiftly. "And even if she was, what makes you think she is not going to just leave you." Frank was losing his control on his don and he could feel it.

"I will always stand by your side," The Australian voice spoke with so much emotion that John couldn't question her sincerity. "No matter what."

Frank chuckled lightly as blood dripped down his face. "Do you really believe that act? John, she is Cerberus, she doesn't care about any one."

"Did you ever care about me dad huh?" John question with the scorn and hatred he had harboured over the years. "Because from what I remember you said that I was worthless." The disdain seeped out of John like venom from a snake bite.

"John, that's not fair..."

"You could say the same thing about beating your own son because he won't push drugs." John countered swiftly.

"You ungrateful little piece of shit!" Frank muttered as he marched towards John, his bleeding face leaving a trail of crimson.

Frank threw a right hook as he got within arm's reach of John; his dad always threw a right hook first. The Commander never saw any thought in his dad's motions; maybe it was the cocaine and alcohol slowly deteriorating his brain.

John ducked under the right hook and delivered a quick and devastating blow to Frank's vagus nerve. The older man stumbled around drunkenly as he doubled over in pain. The younger man kicked Frank in the face causing him to sprawl onto the ground like a dead corpse.

Frank slowly sat up from the floor, blood poured from his horribly mutilated face.

"Now," Frank's voice was filled with humour as he chuckled, blood spraying the ashen ground. "Now we see the demon inside of you John." The blood pouring from Frank's mouth made him harder to understand.

"I thought you weren't going to be like me John, what happen to that?" Frank inquired as he spat the blood out of his mouth. "The war is over John, you can't hide behind the lie that you kill to do what's right." Frank's voice slowly became darker as he spoke. "You kill because you enjoy it; you kill because it's all you have ever known... you kill, because it's all you're good at."

"You don't know me dad, you never did." John said in a confident tone, the same tone he used whenever he marched straight into hell.

"No, John I know you more than you think." Frank smiled with his crimson lips as the sky slowly began to rain. "I've seen you at your darkest."

John felt a sudden weight appear in his right hand; as if he had been clutching the object the whole time yet never felt its weight.

The commander slowly looked down at his right hand and saw a bloodied cleaver in his crimson grasp.

John looked back at his father's face. The older man seemed to be bleeding much more heavily than before.

"Do it John, finish me off, just like you did too the Batarian home world." Frank spat the words out, along with a mouthful of blood. "Don't lie, I know you enjoyed the rush of power, the same high you felt when you killed me." Frank spat out even more blood. "I know you killed me because you wanted to, you can't lie about that. You can say it was to avenge your whore of a mother and the little abomination you call a sister, but we both know the truth."

John's hand tightened around the hilt of the familiar cleaver, anger warming the blood in his veins.

But then John heard the Australian voice speak out from behind him, calling his name "Shepard,"

John turned towards Miranda's teary face. The commander thought about running to her in order to comfort her, but he still had unfinished business. He was filled with hate, Frank had taken life from those he cared about and yet he still drew breath. Maybe his dad was right. There wasn't a place for him in a peaceful world.

"I... lo-love you so much."

John froze at Miranda's words. The hatred in the commander's body seemed to dissipate into an obsolete concept. John turned towards Miranda once again.

"Damn it." Miranda cursed out loud as she quickly dried her eyes.

The human specter smiled lightly at the woman in front of him. She was so beautiful, even when she was being an emotional wreck.

"You and Oriana are the most important things in my life," Miranda held out her left hand, an invitation to join her, an invitation to stand by her side. "So please fight this."

John twirled the bloodied blade around in his hand as he stared at his reflection that seemed to be trapped in the crimson blade.

The commander threw the cleaver on to the ground.

"John," Frank called as his son moved towards the woman standing behind him. "Come back here."

John said nothing as he moved closer to the love of his life.

"Come back here and kill me!" Frank shouted like a maniac. "You can't leave me here! I know you can't!"

John froze but he never turned towards his father. "You know what's funny about what you just said?"

The air became thick with suspense as silence enveloped the forest.

"You never knew me." John said before he continued to walk toward Miranda.

John could hear his father screaming in the background, but he never paid any attention to his feeble cries.

Once the commander reached Miranda he grabbed her hand, and led her away from his raving father. This... this is where he belonged in a peaceful world.

 **AN: I would like to thank everyone who has written me a review, you guys are the reason I still write, every review I get pushes me to continue to write and improve. Feel free to leave a review or PM me, and please give me feedback on the OC. Thank you for reading.**

 **Sincerely: Chosen Undead27**


	4. When you wake up

**WARNING: Sexually explicit material ahead.**

 **Normandy Crash Site...**

The CIC was loud and disarrayed mess. The crew members of the Normandy worked hast-fully as they reattached the paneling to the floors and walls. Luckily the crew members had managed to fix most of the electrical wiring, but they still were a long way from flying again.

"Tali," Garrus spoke into his omni tool as he walked through the busy CIC. "What's the status on the engine core?"

"Fixable, but it's going to take some time." Tali replied frustrated by the never ending problems of the engine.

Garrus sighed "Get it done; I don't want to be here any longer than we have to be."

"This couldn't get any worse." Garrus mumbled to himself.

"Hey Scars!" James yelled out from across noisy the CIC. "You might want to come see this!"

"Alright!" Garrus shouted back at the young alliance marine.

James left the CIC and headed towards the exit of the Normandy.

"Why do I even bother to talk sometimes?" Garrus said aloud as he walked over to the ships exit.

 **Earth- Hospital- Commander Shepard's room...**

Miranda smiled lightly as Shepard gently squeezed her hand.

" _He's responding to my voice, that's promising._ " Miranda thought silently as she looked at Shepard's unconscious face.

"Shepard, you really scared me there." Miranda's smile slowly faded away. "I thought I lost you."

Lawson chuckled lightly. "I don't know why I put up with you." Her voice had a humorous tone. "You always seem to find ways to make me nervous."

Miranda's expression slowly became somber as she reflected on the past.

She exhaled deeply. "When we came back from the collector ship..." Lawson's words were an ambivalent mess; she seemed to be full of joy and flooded with sadness. "I-I was... nervous, to say the least." The ex-operative struggled to find the right words for what she felt. "To be honest, I wasn't prepared to come back from that mission alive." Miranda started to scratch her exposed chest. "Don't get me wrong, I was glad that we did but I wasn't sure where we stood. I knew that I wanted to continue the... relationship that we stared" She began to fidget slightly in her seat as she tried to explain herself. "However I didn't know what you wanted. I wasn't sure if what you felt for me was genuine or if you were just using me as a coping method..." Miranda exhaled heavily. "You were the first real thing I had in my life and I was scared of losing you."

She leaned forward in her chair and placed a kiss upon Shepard's brow. "When you wake up, everything will change for us, and it will be on our terms."

 **The dark woods of ruination...**

Shepard smiled as he looked at the beautiful woman walking by his side.

The forest became brighter and more alive with every step they took. The trees were a healthy and lively green, the ground was an explosion of colours created by the flowers scattered upon the forest floor, and the air was clear and refreshing.

Shepard found it hard to accept that they were even in the same forest. The ashen and decaying woods seem to be only a fait memory, a part of his past that no longer afflicted him, like a simple childhood fear of the dark.

"Shepard, you really scared me there." The Australian voice broke the peacefully silence.

Shepard rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, I could have handled that better."

"I thought I lost you." Miranda's voice was emotional. She pulled John towards a nearby park bench.

"Miranda, you will never lose me." Shepard assured her as they sat down on the bench.

The conviction in his words was sincere. The commander truly cared about the beautiful woman that was sitting beside him, and nothing would pull them apart again.

Miranda smiled slightly "I don't know why I put up with you."

The human specter chuckled lightly at the ex-Cerberus officer.

She looked away from him and stared at the colourful scenery. ""You always seem to find ways to make me nervous."

Shepard's smile faded away as he noticed the tone of Miranda's voice. On the surface the ex-officer seemed to be jesting at all of their almost comical adventures, but deep down he could hear the somberness in her voice that came along with reflecting upon the past.

"Miranda," Shepard's voice was coated in worry and adoration. "What's wrong?"

She exhaled deeply. "When we came back from the collector ship..."

 **Post suicide mission, Normandy SR-2, Medical Bay...**

Dr. Chakwas stared intensely at the shelf of medical supplies, she had to do something or else she would start to remember the macabre hell hole.

Chakwas shot out of her chair and started to pace the room to and fro.

She had to do something or she would risk going insane. Chakwas darted over to the shelves and began to rearrange the medical supplies for the forty seventh time.

Chakwas released an unsteady breath, she had already examined all of the surviving crew members, what more could she do?

Karin started to panic. There was nothing to be done, nothing to take her mind off of the grisly events that had taken place. The longer that the doctor did nothing, the more she could smell the nauseating scent of that horrific pit of despair. The collector's odor was that of organs that had been preserved in formaldehyde, it was earthy yet unnatural.

The doctor started to feel the scream of the colonist in her ears as the cool and breathy whisper of fear crawl through her like a parasitic worm.

Karin could recall every moment in those god forsaken pods; it was like being in a coffin. She remembered the pleas for life and death, and she too wanted to scream, to rave out into the void for help. Yet her lips were sowed shut by the invisible threads of fear.

The automatic doors slide open to revel Miranda Lawson leaning heavily onto Commander Shepard, her left leg was covered in blood.

Doctor Chakwas was immediately broken out of her own personal train of thought.

Karin gestured to nearby bed "What happen?" the doctor asked as the couple moved towards the bed.

"I got hit in my left thigh." Miranda answered briefly through her gritted teeth.

"Alright," Karin said in a calm tone. "Get onto the bed and I will see what I can do."

The couple hobbled awkwardly over to the bed. "I can do this on my own." Miranda whispered as she lightly pushed herself away from Shepard.

Lawson held onto the railings of the bed, preparing herself. She lifted herself off of the floor with her upper body. The ex-Cerberus operative attempted to lift her left leg over the railing when a sharp and burning pain caused her to faultier and fall backward.

Miranda tried to grab on to something, anything to stop herself from falling. She started to panic as she felt the inertia. The feeling disappeared as something caught her, cushioning her to a slow painless stop.

"I got you." Shepard said as he held Miranda in his arms.

"Thank you." She responded quietly as she looked up at the commander.

"Shepard," Karin spoke loudly, gaining their attention. "Could you please lift Miss Lawson onto the bed before she gives herself a concussion?" Her question sounded more like a demand.

Shepard nodded silently as he gently and slowly scooped Miranda up into his arms.

She felt safe and happy in his arms, she was ashamed of herself. Not only was it horribly optimistic, it was also a sign of weakness. She was a strong logical and independent person, she shouldn't care nor let Shepard affect her.

But he did...

Lawson cared about Shepard, even though she had no clue if she meant anything to him. Was all of his flirting and kindness just a deceptive way of getting into her pants, or was it something more than that?

"You better not drop me." Miranda quipped in a serious tone.

"You are nowhere near that heavy." Shepard responded in a light and playful tone as he carefully placed her into the bed.

The commander backed away from the bed, allowing Chakwas some space so she could start working on Miranda's leg.

"I have to go check on the rest of the crew. We'll talk later." Shepard spoke softly to Miranda before he left.

Lawson's heart sank slightly as nervousness wracked her body. " _Is he going to tell me that he just wanted to get into my pants, that he wants nothing to do with me anymore? Or does he just need to talk about the future plans for the Normandy? Dam it, I need to find out where we stand. I hate all of this uncertainty; I should have kept my distance. "_

Deep down she knew that keeping her distance was impossible, he was fire and her heart was painfully frozen.

"Alright," Chakwas said as she glanced over Miranda's injury. "You need to get rid of your clothing so I can assess the wound."

Miranda tried to push her complex thoughts and emotions out of her head.

"Yes," Miranda's voice spoke out but there seemed to be a lack of thought behind the words, like a fireless wisp of smoke, lacking purpose and belonging. "That would be for the best." Her voice was still hollow sounding as she stared blankly at her legs.

Lawson unzipped her catsuit as Dr. Chakwas looked at her in a questioning manner.

"Are you alright, emotionally speaking?" Karin asked in a concerned tone.

"I'm fine." Miranda responded coldly as she slid the cat suit down her body.

Karin scolded herself mentally. Lawson was a very private person, to ask such a question so bluntly and expect am answer was ridiculous.

Miranda continued to undress, wincing as she arched her back in order to pull the catsuit down her legs. Once the fabric reached her boots, Lawson then sat up and unbuckled the straps on her boots so she could take them off and slid her legs out of her catsuit.

Karin patiently waited for Miranda to undress when she saw observed something curious. The doctor found that the normally strong, cold, and independent operative would occasionally look towards the door with a short stare of longing and unspoken need.

The doctor started to work diligently. The wound on Miranda's thigh was a ragged gash, cause by a stray piece of shrapnel.

"You weren't shot." Karin informed Miranda as she started to scan Lawson's leg.

Lawson slowly pushed herself up to a sitting position so she could look at the wound herself.

"The ragged tear would indicate a shrapnel wound, correct?" The Cerberus officer asked as if she didn't know the answer.

"That is correct Miss Lawson." Karin's voice was quiet as she distracted herself with scans of Miranda's left leg. "The shrapnel has also damaged your femur."

There were multiple pieces of metal logged into Miranda's Rectus Femoris and Sartorius muscles, the femur was also damaged by the shrapnel; luckily the sharp metal had missed the Femoral artery.

"I'm going to give you a sedative," Chakwas started too explained as she grabbed the necessary supplies, turning her back towards Lawson. "Then I will remove the Shrapnel, this will allow me to repair the femur, stanch the bleeding, and finally dress the wound." Karin continued as she prepared the sedative. She flicked the needle a few times before looking back at Lawson.

Chakwas felt a rich sensation of melancholy as she looked at Miranda's face.

The younger woman appeared to be in a trance like state as she stared at the door. There was a child like nervousness in Miranda's eyes, an anxiety that was brought on with the recollection of dark memories.

"Are you alright Miss Lawson?" Karin asked in slow and caring voice, like that of a mother.

"Yeah, I was just lost in thought." Miranda's voice held a wavering tone. "We can continue when you are ready." The ex-operatives voice was cold and impersonal once again. All remnants of her anxiety seemed to disappear from her face, as if they never existed.

"Alright then," Karin spoke after a brief pause "Let me see your neck." Chakwas said as she moved closer to the bed.

"You can all have the rest of the day off," Shepard's voice echoed through the cargo bay. "We can leave the rest of the repairs for another day. We've all been through hell and deserve a breather. Good work people."

The Ship's crew cheered before they scatter and talk amongst themselves, trying to find something to do, lest they fall asleep and find themselves back in those pods.

"Hey," a voiced called out from behind him. "Commander Shepard."

"Hello Kelly," the commander greeted the yeoman with a warm tone and small smile, but it was all a facade, in all honesty he felt like shit. He smelled like sweat and collector guts, his ribs had a dull pain, He was worried about Miranda and on top of all that he was fatigued. "Did you need something?"

"No, I Just wanted to thank you for rescuing us." Kelly's tone seemed almost happy, but Shepard could hear the slight hint of woe.

"You don't need to thank me," Shepard's voice was confident. "I couldn't leave my entire crew behind."

"Well," Kelly's voice became flirtatious as she looked up and down the commander's body. "I think you still need some type of reward, I can think of a few ways that we can do that." Kelly lightly bit her bottom lip as she stared into Shepard's eyes.

The commander rubbed the back of his neck. "I-I uh, I have things... that I need to do." Shepard answered awkwardly.

"Alright, find me if you change your mind." Kelly said in a sultry tone that held the presence of disappointment.

She left to go join the other crew members, leaving Shepard with an awkward feeling of embarrassment.

The commander sighed in relief and mumbled quietly to himself. "That was awkward."

"Yeah, that was." Garrus's jocular voice could be heard approaching from behind the commander. "Commander Shepard turning down sex, who are you and what did you do with the real Commander?"

Shepard chuckled lightly. "I'm just not interested."

"Are you sure that this has nothing to do with a certain dark haired female that's aboard this ship."

"What are you talking about?"

"Don't play innocent with me; I know when someone's lying." Garrus jokingly scolded the commander. "And the googly eyes you make at Miss Lawson don't help your innocent plea."

"How do you know what googly eyes are?" Shepard stared at Garrus, perplexed by his friend's knowledge of human slang.

"I'm around humans so much that I'm basically one of you squishy things." Garrus deadpanned.

Shepard laughed, causing his ribs to hurt slightly.

"This is why I can say without a doubt," Garrus continued his rant once the commander's laughter died down. "That you have the stupidest human grin I have ever seen. It's strange that it's only when you look at Miss Lawson that you grin so stupidly, granted, human faces always look stupid, but yours seems especially stupid when our XO is around."

Shepard smiled at the Turian. "Look, I just want to have a shower and go to sleep."

"Well you seem like you're in a hurry," Garrus replied with a smile "Is that because Miss Lawson will be involved in those activities."

Shepard turned away from the Turian and started to walk towards the elevator, Garrus followed closely behind him.

"So now you're going to follow me," the commander sighed "Great."

"Why would I want follow you?" Garrus asked in a baffled manner. "I'm not suicidal."

Shepard looked towards his friend with a puzzled face. "What does that even mean?"

Garrus laugh lightly as Shepard pressed the Elevator button. After a few seconds the elevator door opened, allowing the human and Turian entrance into the small room.

Garrus chuckled as he pated the commander on the shoulder. "Everywhere you go you manage to find some new form of hell."

Shepard laughed. "That's a fair point."

Garrus pressed the buttons for the Captain's Cabin and the Crew's Quarters. The elevator ascended as a foreboding silence slowly slide its way into the small room.

"When the reapers arrive," Garrus's voice broke the silence "I will be with you the whole way."

The elevator's doors opened to reveal the Crew Quarters.

Garrus smiled lightly. "There's no Shepard without out Vakarian."

Shepard smiled back. "Thanks Garrus; I'm glad that I can count on you."

Garrus nodded towards the commander before the elevator doors closed behind him.

Miranda's eyes slowly fluttered opened. Her vision was blurry, and her head pounded. The steel table that she was lying on made her spine uncomfortable, the cool metal chilled her skin.

Miranda's visions returned and she could see a blinding white roof, pain pulsated into her head forcing her to close her eyes. The pulsation was insufferable; her brain felt like it was on fire. The ex-operative tried to raise a hand to her temple in a vain attempt to sooth the pain, but she couldn't. Anxiety filled her as she realised that her arms, legs, and head were in restraints, limiting her movement.

Miranda pulled on restraints in an attempt of breaking free, but they wouldn't budge.

Lawson breathed in and out deeply, calming herself so she could reassess the situation. She twisted awkwardly so she could get a better look at her surroundings.

Miranda smiled as she saw the orange glow of her hard light constraints.

Cerberus had every high ranking operative and agent implanted with a device that could hack hard light cuffs.

Miranda flicked her wrist in order to activate the device, but nothing happened.

Panic started to set in and she struggled against the restraints once again, but it was hopeless and deep down... Miranda knew it.

There was a loud sound of an intercom being activated before a deep Australian accented voice filled the room. "Stop struggling child!" Miranda's blood ran cold, chilling the very marrow in her bones. "This is for your own good."

Miranda wanted to yell threats of harm and mutilation towards her father but she couldn't, all she could yell was "Father please don't, it hurts so much!" however it was not her own voice that spoke out, it was the voice of a small girl who had the same name. "I promise that I will play the piano better!" The child's pleas reverberated off of the wall and fell upon deaf ears.

Miranda could feel the cold tips of a thousand needles press into the base of her skull, warm tears wetted her cheeks. The little girl wanted to scream and thrash around but her muscles were frozen.

There was a warm sensation as the needles were injected into her spine. Slowly the fluid coursed through Miranda's nervous system. The fluid seemed to become rapidly colder as it gradually flooded her nervous system, causing a light tingle. The tingling quickly turned in to a burning sting that grew stronger every second.

The stinging became unbearable as it filled the little girl's nervous system, the pain was like an electrical shock yet it was caustic and burning, like pouring fluoroantimonic acid on a bee sting. The pain came with a peculiar taste of electricity that flooded the mouth like a swig of rum.

Miranda's breathing quickened as the pain intensified, drilling the base of her skull with a nauseating pain.

Lawson jolted in to an upright sitting position, her breathing was quick and shallow, and a thin layer of sweat covered her naked body. She looked around the room and slowly began to calm down as she realized where she was.

Miranda sighed in relief, she was no longer the tortured girl that was restrained to the table, that little girl had died a long time ago. Lawson was now the woman who had risen from the ashes of the child. The young girl was shy, nervous, and desperate for someone to hold on to. All of that had changed, yet, at the same time... it all seemed to stay the same.

Like a permanent stain, all of Miranda's self doubt seemed to fade and become harder to see, but it never disappeared.

"Miss Lawson?" Chakwas questioned inquisitively as she entered the Medical bay. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine." The ex-operative answered calmly, as if nothing had happened.

The Normandy's XO looked at the table on her left hoping her catsuit would be nearby, she wanted to get back to work. She wanted to rid the entire ship of Cerberus's bugs, give Shepard a status update of the ship and their supplies, and lastly get a good night's rest.

Miranda scanned the room until she saw her catsuit neatly folded up on Karin's desk.

"Can you give me my clothes? I need to tie up a few lose ends in my office." Lawson's question sounded more like a statement. "I have very important tasks that I need to get done."

Karin stared at the Miranda before she released a sigh. "I suppose that you do have many important things that you must do, you are the XO of the Normandy after all." The Doctor walked over to her desk and grabbed the catsuit off of the table top. "I'll give you back your clothes on one condition... you promise that you will get lots of rest immediately after you finish your work."

"We just survived a suicide mission; I intend to get some rest." Miranda dead panned.

Chakwas looked down at the clothes in her hands. "Before you go, can I ask you to do something?"

Lawson raised an eyebrow in a questioning manner "What is it?"

"Don't break his heart."

"What are you talking about?" Miranda asked in an innocent manner.

The Doctor laughed lightly. "Don't play dumb with me." Karin's voice was soft yet it held a scolding tone. "I see the way you two look at each other."

Miranda's face held a ghost of a smile for a brief second.

"The way the commander looks at you," Karin's soft voice stopped mid sentence and she stared off in to nothingness, a light smile etched itself upon her face as she reveled in the memories of the past. "Shepard has never looked at someone like that before, not even Ashley Williams."

Miranda looked down at her legs, unsure of what to say or do. The whole conversation made her feel awkward, except for the last part. Knowing that Shepard looked at her in such away made her feel giddy and nervous at the same time.

Chakwas placed Lawson's cloths into her lap, Miranda's catsuit was clean but there was still a noticeable hole in the thigh.

"Thank you." Miranda said as she looked up from her lap. The doctor nodded into return.

"When I first met you I would have scolded Shepard for falling prey to your looks." Karin admitted shamelessly.

"But now, I'm happy for him." The Chakwas continued with a light smile, she started walking towards the medical bay doors.

"What changed?" Lawson inquired.

The doctor looked over her shoulder before she left the room. "You did." With those final words Karin walked through the doors, leaving Miranda alone in the silent medical bay.

Lawson gingerly swung her legs over the side of the bed, she slowly lower her feet on to the ground.

Miranda looked back on the last few months.

" _Have I really changed that much?_ " she thought silently to herself.

She looked down at her bandaged leg, silently hoping that it wouldn't scar.

Lawson cautiously started to dress herself, taking extra care of her injured leg.

Miranda tried to look back on who she was before the mission with Shepard, but it was all so obscurer to her. She used to see everything action she took as grey, however the ends always justified the means. It was an idea she used to stand firmly behind, it's what helped her do some of the darker things. She knew that some of her actions weren't right. But the end goal was good, and in the end it would always justify what she did to achieve it. But now... she wasn't so sure. Like an abstract painting, the more she looked at her life the more things became blurred and inexplicable.

Before Miranda met Shepard she would have undoubtedly shot Niket, but she didn't. She spared the traitor and let him redeem himself, allowing her to forgive him in some small measure.

After Miranda saw the fire that commander Sheppard had, she wanted to obtain her own flame. Her own ability to make someone gladly follow her into the uncharted bowels of hell.

The ex-operative became obsessed with trying to obtain her own flame. It was the one thing that she could never excel at like he did. She could hit any target that Shepard could; she could run any distance he could. But she would never be able to lead an entire squad through a suicide mission, escaping with their lives.

The ex-Cerberus officer began studying the commander after he helped her get Orinna to safety. It was then, that she realized that he could make almost anyone follow him. There was so much diversity amongst his squad, so many different walks of life and all of them were dedicated to his cause. Like moths to a flame the entire squad was drawn to him, Jack and Miranda herself inevitably obeyed the Commander's wishes.

Lawson slid her arms into the sleeves of her catsuit. The bottom half of her catsuit was awkward and restrictive. She looked towards her office, she couldn't wait to finish her work and take a shower.

She sighed in annoyance "I still need to get that dent in the wall fixed." Lawson muttered as she thought back to her argument with Jack.

The incident was still fresh in Miranda's mind, she could remember the anger she felt as that degenerate assaulted her, and the subsequent relief she felt when Shepard got that animal out of her office. She also felt a sense of success at the same time, after weeks of her constant surveillance she finally found out the Commander's secrete to gaining any one's loyalty.

Lawson had read the all of the hand books that Shepard would have had access to in the alliance, and she found nothing that represented what Shepard did. However, after he defused the situation between her and Jack it all became so clear.

He didn't use simple mutual respect like most of the alliance hand books recommended. Shepard treated his crew fairly and helped them in any way he could, yet there was a small sensation of authority, that exceeded the feeling that came along rank and status.

When Shepard scolded Jack and Miranda it became clearer to Lawson as to what his fire was. Shepard cared about everyone he served with, no matter what rank or position you had, he would always find the time to help everyone. It was the way that Shepard raised his voice at herself and Jack, that allowed Lawson it finally connect all of the puzzle pieces together.

He treated his squad mates (and the pilot, for reasons that were unintelligible to Miranda) as friends, equals. Miranda had friends before Shepard but they were never as strong as her relationship with the commander, although he didn't have lots of competition, Niket betrayed her and Jacob rarely even spoke to her any more.

When Shepard was disappointed with a squad mate he spoke to them as equals. Miranda contributed this to the fact that Shepard had no real command over any of them. Jacob and Miranda used to report directly to the Illusive man, not Shepard. If the Illusive man told them to shoot the commander they would've had to obey, regardless of what Shepard said or did.

Lawson always thought that he was using the charade of friendship to gain and spread trust amongst the squad. The Normandy's XO had to admit that it worked; even if it wasn't Shepard's intended purpose. Miranda had come to trust Garrus, Mordin, Thane, Samara, and in some small way even Grunt (although, she would never trust him with anything fragile, small, or living for that matter).

Once Miranda and Jack angered the commander to the point of yelling, The XO realized something. There was disappointment in the commander's voice, the same type of disappointment that varnished Miranda's own words when she spoke to Niket.

It was not a disappointment of a commander, but of a friend. The relationships he built with the squad were real. It was with this realization, the answer to Shepard's success as a commander was conceived.

Shepard had always treated the crew of the Normandy as more than simple subordinates, but at the same time he was not friends with them. Lawson had originally thought that Shepard deliberately spent more time with the squad so he could build trust, and a stronger relationship with them.

It made sense, there was only so much time before they would have to enviably jump feet first into hell, so it made sense that he would spend it with the people he had to rely on the most.

Miranda however realized how wrong she was, when she herself had been scolded by the commander. In that moment she realised that Shepard talked to his subordinates with the same tone of amity he used with the squad. Yet it was different, the crew still treated him with the authority that came with his title.

He treated the subordinates not as siblings or friends; he treated them as though they were his own children. It became clearer as Miranda reflected upon the past few months that Shepard was fallowing an altered version of Sun Tzu's The Art of War.

The only difference in the way that Shepard and Sun Tzu commanded was the small fact that Shepard was friends with his squad members; he didn't treat them like his own children like the book recommended.

This was surprising because Shepard was at the top of his class yet Sun Tzu's The Art of War was widely disliked by the Alliance. Many of the admirals stated that it required a great deal of emotional connection, and thus it could stop the commanding officer from making the hard decisions.

" _I guess Shepard proved them wrong_." Miranda thought to herself as she zipped up her catsuit and left the medical bay.

The cafeteria was completely empty when Miranda exited the medical bay.

"Everyone must have gone to bed already." She thought out loud.

"You would think so," Garrus's voice echoed in the empty room as he walked into the cafeteria. "But one of the crew men found a lot of alcohol in the one of the supply crates; needless to say they decided to throw a victory party."

Lawson walked over to a nearby table and leaned her butt against the edge for support. "As long as they don't damage anything, I couldn't care less about how they spend their free time."

Garrus chuckled lightly. "Some of them thought that you would rip their heads off."

"That's ridiculous," Miranda spoke dryly. "I don't have nearly enough time or energy for that nonsense."

Garrus's mandibles twitched into a Turian smile. "Did you just make a joke?"

"No," Miranda dead panned "I seriously considered the idea of murdering half of the crew, the only thing that stopped me was the fact that I have work to do."

The Turian shook his head in disbelief. "I didn't know you were capable of making jokes."

Miranda smirked lightly. "And I didn't know that you were capable of dodging rockets, considering the way we met. I'm glad you proved me wrong today."

Garrus chuckled "Wow, you're better at this than Shepard is."

The two looked at each other for a few moments.

"I'm glad," Garrus spoke hesitantly. "That you're one of us."

Miranda nodded at the Turian, unsure of how she should respond.

"Well, I have some calibrations that need to be done." Garrus said with a cheery tone.

"I have work that needs to be done as well."

The two nodded at each other and parted ways.

Miranda released a sigh of relief as she entered her office; she had a few more things to do before this hellish day ended.

"EDI," Lawson called out as she walked towards her chair. "I need you to target all of Cerberus's bugs and overload them."

"Miss Lawson, I have already completed that action."

Miranda sat down at her terminal and opened her messages. There were reports from EDI and Tali.

"On whose orders?" The XO questioned as she read through the reports on her terminal.

"Commander Shepard's, the commander inquired if there was any way that Cerberus could track the Normandy." EDI's robotic voice echoed thought Miranda's office. "I told the commander about the Cerberus's cameras and spyware, he ordered for their immediate destruction."

"Thank you EDI that will be all." Lawson replied

"Logging you out Miss Lawson."

Miranda continued to read the reports.

Tali's report was short and to the point. The Quarian managed to get the engine working at seventy percent capacity; Tali recommended that they find somewhere to dock so further repairs could be done.

EDI's report was much longer and supplied a lot of details about every deck and the damages that they sustained. The captain's cabin was running off of emergency lighting due to electrical problems, there was damage to the haul, and the cargo bay was a complete disaster, in short the ship was a mess.

Miranda transferred the reports onto an empty data pad.

Normally Lawson would read over the reports and deal with the problems herself, but with the delicate situation they were in Miranda decided that she needed to talk with Shepard. At least that's what she told herself.

The Normandy's XO had alternative motives for wanting to see the commander.

If the ex-Cerberus officer was to honest with herself, she simply wanted to see him and hear his deep seductive voice.

Most of all she wanted him to touch her, not sexually but affectionately. She wanted him to wrap his arms around her and whisper sweet nothings into her ear.

She wanted to feel the warmth of his chest and arms upon her skin as she slowly drifted off into the land of dreams, where Cerberus, the reapers, her father and all of the other problems in the galaxy didn't exist. A land where there was only her and Shepard, casually meeting at a club or some other place where normal couples met, but Miranda was the definition of anomalous.

Besides, dreams were for children and Miranda was a strong and independent woman, thus she would never admit this to any one, not even herself.

Lawson got out of her chair and grabbed a small duffle bag that contained her showering items and a change of clothes. She unzipped the bag and tossed the locked data pad into the bag before she zipped the bag back up.

Miranda exited her office and headed towards the showers. She felt filthy. The smell of the collector base seemed like it permanently tainted her body, it made her sick.

Despite her pain, The Normandy's XO managed to walk gracefully towards the women's washrooms. she waved her hand in front of the door's sensor, the door slid open and Miranda was greeted to laughter and singing. Curious to the commotion she decided to peek around the corner.

In one of the showers there was three women, all of them were obviously drunk as they sang some song that Miranda had never heard of and kissed each other, this was followed by fits of drunken laughter.

Normandy' XO slowly backed out of the room, careful not to disturb the drunken women.

The XO part of Miranda wanted to reprimand the women for fraternization, but deep down she knew it would be hypocritical to punish the women, considering what she did in the engine room.

There was also the fact that fraternization didn't even matter anymore. The Normandy wasn't an enlisted military ship anymore.

The door slid shut behind Miranda as she headed towards the elevator. There had to be a change in her plans. She didn't want to disrupt what was going on in the shower; she couldn't judge them, she did the same thing with Shepard. Lawson decided that she could shower after she briefed and formulated a plan with Shepard.

Miranda waved her hand in front of the elevator, the orange circle turned green as the doors slid open.

She hesitated before she entered the elevator.

" _What are you going to do if he rejects you?_ " The cynical and untrusting side of the ex-operative questioned. " _You were probably just a play thing to him. What about his girlfriend, did you just forget that she existed_?"

Miranda breathed out slowly as she pressed the button for Shepard's cabin; she still had a job to do.

As the elevator rose time seemed to slow down.

The elevator ride to Shepard's cabin felt excruciatingly long.

The door's light turned green and the door slid open.

The emergency lighting was very dim causing the deck to be filled with dark shadows. The darkness felt comforting to the XO, under the veil of darkness was where she normally hid from her enemies.

She step out of the elevator and went towards Shepard's door.

"EDI," Miranda called out. "Is the commander awake?"

"The commander's vital signs show that he is awake, would you like me to tell him that you are waiting outside." EDI responded.

"Yes, that will be all. Thank you." The XO spoke graciously.

"Logging you out, Miss Lawson."

Miranda waited patiently for the door to Shepard's cabin to open, but as time passed she grew more anxious, she hated herself for it.

She started to think that EDI never sent the message until the door slid open.

Shepard's shadow shrouded figure stood in the doorway.

Through the dime light Miranda could make out that Shepard was wearing grey sweat pants and loosely holding a shirt in his left hand. Sadly- for Miranda- she was unable to make out his facial feature or the details of the commander's muscular body.

"Sorry," Shepard said as he stared putting on his shirt. "I was about to hit the showers when EDI said you wanted to see me."

Miranda wanted to make a coquettish response like " _Don't bother with the shirt; you're not going to need it for very long._ " But she was still unsure of what they were to each other, so she simply replied. "It's alright. I wanted to brief you on the ship's status; we should also plan out what we're doing next."

"Sounds good, come inside." Shepard said as he gestured towards the couch.

Miranda started walking inside until Shepard stopped her by pressing a hand into her stomach.

Lawson felt a flare of anxiety and affection wash over her as the commander's hand touched her. It was harder than normal for the ex-operative to control her feelings, before she would console herself with the fact that she was going to die in a suicide mission, so it didn't matter if Shepard was lying about how he felt. But... she didn't die, and now she was dealing with the anxiety and doubt that had been building over the past few months.

"Is your leg alright?" Sincere feelings of care and concern laced Shepard's voice, as he stared into Miranda's light blue eyes.

Miranda almost blushed from Shepard's words. She could hear the genuine emotions that freely entered his voice, it made her feel blissful.

Lawson cared about Shepard more than she ever cared about any one in her life, and it scared her. Miranda could read any man expect for him, he was an abnormality. It frightened her because of how deeply she cared for the commander, yet she was never certain on how he felt or what he was thinking. Normally this type of uncertainty would stop her from proceeding foreword, but with him it was different.

She emotionally invested herself into another person when it logically didn't make any sense, they knew more about the collectors than anyone else, and she was willing to risk it for lo- for whatever it was that they had.

"I'm fine, thank you for asking." Miranda answered courteously as she lightly pushed the commander's arm away, heading once again towards for the couch.

Shepard watched the sway of Miranda's hips as he followed her. Everything about her was beautiful to him, form her long leg to her snarky attitude. She was magnificent and fascinating but above all else she was intoxicating. The closer he got to her the drunker and more addicted he felt, he was a junkie and she was his drug.

His emotions towards Lawson were foreign to the Alliance solider; it was a mixture of lust and care that exceeded anything he had ever felt for any one.

Miranda sat down gingerly on the couch and got the data pad out of her bag, Shepard quietly sat down beside her.

He studied her face as he sat in silence. He could see uncertainly and anxiety in her alluring visage.

"Tali's," Miranda started as she unlocked the data pad and opened Tali's repot. "Report says that we need to dry dock in order to finish the repairs on the engine."

Miranda handed the data pad over to Shepard.

"We could dock at Omega, I'm sure that I could convince Aria to help us." Shepard responded as he skimmed the report.

Lawson cringed at the thought of docking at Omega, that city was a putrid pile of filth.

"I have contacts in Illium that could provide the same services."

"Would the ship be safe there?" Shepard asked.

"My contact has legal documents that prevent any law enforcement from investigating her dock."

"Really?" Shepard asked, bewildered that a couple of papers could stop the police.

"Illium is corrupt too Shepard, It not obvious because Ilium's corruption hides within the laws." Miranda replied.

"What about Cerberus, do they know about this contact?" Shepard asked as he weighed his options.

"I never told Cerberus about my contacts." Lawson replied. "Secrecy is essential to how Cerberus operates. It was safer for everyone involved that they knew as little as possible about my contacts." The ex-operative explained.

Shepard looked up from the data pad. "Would it be safe for the crew too have some shore leave while we are their?"

"They would be less likely to catch a disease." Miranda said with a hint of disgust in her voice "However I wouldn't recommend long term departure."

"Sounds promising, you should get in touch with your contact. Is there anything else?" The commander asked.

Miranda grabbed the data pad from Shepard and opened EDI's report. "EDI's made a list of repairs," Lawson stated as she handed the data pad back to Shepard. "Many of them can't be done until we dock."

Shepard quickly read through the report. "EDI gave me the just of this while you were in the medical bay. I think the crew will be able to finish the repairs over the next three days."

Miranda looked at Shepard with a puzzled face. "They could easily get the work done in a day."

"I wouldn't say that, many of them will be hung over tomorrow and I want to give them breather over the next few days." Shepard explained.

The Normandy's XO nodded. "That sounds like a fair point."

Shepard handed Miranda the data pad.

"So what's with the bag?" Shepard asked in a seemingly confused and curious manner, however the truth was far from that.

Deep down the commander wanted her to make one of her quick witted remarks like: " _We already slept together once, might as well make it permanent arrangement_."

She could've made an aloof statement about her room being too cold, and she needed someone's body heat to stay warm. Shepard didn't care how it happened; all he wanted was to be closer to her.

He wanted to smell her hair as her back pushed against his torso, he wanted to hear her sexy Australian accent that made his head spin with lust. He wanted to be with her in the most intimate ways possible, physically and emotionally.

Miranda raised an eye brow. "Does that really concern you?" She asked in faux annoyance.

"Well considering it's my cabin, I would think so." Shepard countered in a charming voice.

Miranda couldn't stand the cocky tone of his voice; it made her want him even more. She could feel lust building up inside of her. She wanted to touch and kiss his skin, but she suppressed it as best as she could.

Lawson let out an exaggerated sigh. "Well if you must know commander, I was planning on having a shower. That is until I found three of your drunken subordinates having sex in the shower."

"Your subordinates?" Shepard repeated in a perplexed tone. "If I remember correctly you are the XO of the Normandy, so doesn't that make them your subordinates as well?" Shepard proposed.

"Have you already forgotten, commander?" Miranda asked innocently "I resigned from Cerberus, currently I'm unemployed." Her voice was playful and painfully alluring to the commander, he felt like he was going to lose control of himself very time her lips moved.

"Is that so?" Shepard asked as he got up from the couch and moved towards the fish tank.

Miranda got out of the couch and followed the commander.

Lawson found it hard not to stare at Shepard's body as he walked. She was awestruck by her commander; he was strong, kind and extremely sexy.

The ex-Cerberus officer never believed in the myths and propaganda that surrounded the great commander Shepard, but as time passed and her emotion for him swelled, the more she understood him.

He was defiantly the hero that everyone made him out to be, but she saw something that not many people did. She saw the human inside of the great hero; she witnessed his anger, his hatred, his stress, and most importantly his affection.

Miranda tried to clear her head of lustful thoughts but they were too persistent.

"Yes," Lawson said as she stood beside Shepard and watched the jelly fish swim around. "The only reason I decided to help you form a plan is that I don't want to die during my first week of retirement."

Shepard chuckled lightly. "Well the Normandy needs an XO, and you are by far the best XO I have ever had."

"Are you offering me a job commander?" Miranda asked coyly.

"Yes I 'am Miss Lawson. So what do you say, will you be the Normandy's new XO?" Shepard played along.

The jelly fish swam in small circles as the commander looked over at Miranda.

"I don't know Shepard," Lawson said reluctantly as she turned toward Shepard. "XO is a big position, I won't work for free."

"Well I can't offer you any money," The commander spoke in faux disappointment. "But I can offer you the rights to use my private rest room."

Lawson sashayed over towards the couch and sat down; she smiled to herself as she heard Shepard following her. "Hot water is nice, but it's not enough."

"Well," Shepard stood in front of Miranda. "I could always offer you my... personal attention." The commander slowly removed his shirt, exposing his taut and lean muscles.

Miranda unconsciously licked her lips out of lustful hunger.

"I think we can agree- bloody hell." Lawson shot out of her seat and managed to make it to Shepard in only a few quick strides. Miranda began to lightly caress Shepard's lower ribs on his left side.

"What?" Shepard asked as he saw Miranda's worried face.

"Your ribs!" Miranda spoke loudly as she continued to gingerly touch the darkened skin with her hands.

"What about my ribs?" Shepard was still clueless as to what she was upset about.

"Your ribs are purple, Shepard!" Miranda nearly shouted, dumbfounded by Shepard's confusion. "Did you get Chakwas to look at them?"

Shepard placed his right hand on Miranda's hip. "I know what broken ribs feel like Miranda, I'm fine." His voice was soft and assuring.

Her hands slowly drifted upwards towards his shoulders as her eyes finally met his. "Shepard it looks really bad." Miranda spoke softly as she looked into his dark blue eyes.

"I'm fine, I promise." Shepard tried to reassure the beautiful woman before him.

Lawson sighed. "At the very least, let me examine them."

Shepard smiled lightly. "Concerned Miss Lawson?"

The ex-operative had a subtle frown etched upon her face. She was concerned, and it drove her mad.

How could she let herself care so much about another person? A romantic relationship could endanger herself and Oriana.

She didn't even know if Shepard actually liked her for more than just her body, he could easily be using her as a temporary fuck toy that could be discarded once he was reunited with Ashley Williams.

Yet despite all of the uncertainty, she could not stop herself from wanting to be closer to him.

"I'm just cautious, something you seem incapable of." Lawson countered in a snarky tone.

Shepard chuckled. "It's just a bruise."

"Bruising is a sign of broken ribs or a collapsed lung."Miranda argued in a vexed voice.

The commander sighed. "Alright, you win. Go ahead and examine my ribs."

Miranda's removed her hands from his shoulder and started her examination.

She lightly pressed her fingers against his skin; she carefully counted and checked if his ribs were in their proper positions.

Lawson then placed her hands on his sides and gently applied pressure.

Shepard smirked at Miranda as she pressed her hands against him. "Try not to get to excited."

Miranda chuckled silently to herself before see looked into Shepard's eyes.

"When you're done being a cheeky ass, we can continue." Miranda jested playfully.

"Ok," Shepard said with a chuckle. "I'm done."

Lawson removed her hands from Shepard's sides "Are you having any trouble breathing." She asked as she looked down at her Omni-tool and activated the medical scanner.

"No." Shepard responded confidently.

Miranda started to wave her Omni-tool over Shepard's ribs.

Shepard silently revelled in Miranda's closeness and beauty. He was obsessed with her, the clear and pure whites of her eyes, her intoxicating smell, her snarky attitude, her seductive voice, and her incredible intelligence, everything that made her the woman that captivated his thoughts. He was completely enthralled by her, and it scared the shit out of him.

Lawson's omni-tool beeped, signaling that the scan was complete. Miranda silently looked at the results before she looked up at Shepard's face.

"Your ribs are fine," Miranda said reassuringly. "However, you should still get some rest."

With every word Miranda spoke, Shepard's desire to kiss her grew stronger.

Shepard's left hand reached out and gently caressed Miranda's hip, pulling her closer to him. "I should be telling you the same thing."

Miranda placed her left hand on to Shepard's chest. She looked down at the commander's chest, unable to look him in the eyes.

Being so close to him made her feel crazy and she knew she couldn't control it.

Shepard's hand left her hip and stroked her chin gingerly, coaxing her into look back at his face.

"You are so beautiful."

Shepard wasn't even sure if he had actually said the words, until he saw the blush dance across her face.

Miranda tried to control herself as she felt her cheeks burn. Many men and women had called her beautiful before, but with Shepard it was different. Normally such a compliment felt empty, like they weren't complimenting her, instead they were praising her father and his work.

She felt like her body wasn't even her own, it was simply her father's greatest achievement. Everything about her was her father's science project, her looks, her intelligence, and even her personality was all part of her father's experiment. The only thing that was hers, was her mistakes, she was given everything she needed to complete any goal or assignment, so if she failed it was that small part of her, that small screw up in her father's work that failed, that small screw up was what she was.

Shepard made her feel differently. He helped her see who and what she truly was. Yes, her father had made her, this much was true. But she was her own person, her body, her intellect, her personality, all of her faults and all of her successes; it was all hers, not her father's twisted experiment. She finally felt whole, and it was exhilarating.

Thus, when his kind and gentle words had kissed her ears, it had felt like the first compliment she had ever received.

Miranda tried to speak but she lost her ability to form rational thoughts. All she could do was bring her face closer to Shepard's.

The moment that Miranda's eyes looked into Shepard's was the moment that he lost himself. His heart felt like it had stopped for a split second before it started up again, pounding stronger than ever before.

Shepard leaned forward and Miranda brought her face closer to his. Time felt like an obsolete concept as their lips finally connected. Their kiss was passionate and intense, withdrawing feelings of bliss that neither Shepard nor Miranda had ever felt with anyone before.

Miranda's heart started to quicken, she felt weightless as her and Shepard's tongues untied to perform a dance of passion.

The kiss became intoxicating, making both of them feel drunk on lust.

They broke for air and their eyes locked onto each other. As she looked into his eyes, she felt a foreign feeling wash over her. She felt safe, warm, and cared for while she was in his arms. She also felt attached to him, like she needed to touch him in order to breathe.

The ex-operative suddenly regained control of her mind. She quickly removed herself from Shepard's grasp and moved towards the fish tank, distancing herself from the commander.

Shepard didn't follow her. He understood her hesitations, and he didn't want to pressure her into... whatever this was.

"What is this Shepard?" Miranda questioned, her voice was filled with frustration as her back faced him.

"What do you mean?" Shepard asked hesitantly. He knew what she meant, but he didn't have an answer for her.

Lawson turned towards Shepard "What's our relationship, what am I too you?" her frustrated voice stared to show signs of her true anxiety.

Shepard sighed. "Honestly, I don't know." He admitted. "It all happened so fast that I'm not really sure what our relationship is." Shepard started to walk towards to Miranda. "But what I do know, is that I meant everything I have ever said to you." Miranda turned away from him to watch the jellyfish swim.

"I care about you Miranda, and I want to make this work," Shepard was now standing right behind the beautiful woman. "And I think you do too."

Miranda smiled lightly to herself. "We're crazy."

Shepard warped his arms around Miranda, hugging her from behind. "Oh, we're defiantly crazy."

Miranda leaned back into Shepard's embrace. "You do know that this is a horrible idea," Miranda's voice was gloomy. "The alliance considers me a terrorist and you a traitor."

Shepard kissed the side of Miranda's neck causing her to purr quietly. "I came back from the dead, and then I lead a whole team through a suicide mission without a single casualty. I couldn't care less about what the alliance thinks or does."

Miranda spun around in Shepard's grasp so she could see his face. "Don't get too cocky." She warned in a seductive tone. She wrapped her arms around his neck. "I'm the one that put you back together, remember?" Miranda's ran her hands over Shepard's muscular body. "And I do damn good work."

Shepard smiled. "You certainly do."

They kissed each other with more passion, lust, and roughness than ever before.

Shepard broke their kissed and looked into her beautiful eyes. "I won't give up on this; I care about you too much to let that happen."

Miranda cupped the commander's cheek. "Good, because I'm not either." She kissed his cheek quickly before she left his grasp and sashayed towards the coffee table. "I accept your job offer." Miranda said innocently as she grabbed her bag.

Shepard chuckled lightly. "I'm glad you decided to join the team."

Miranda smiled flirtatiously and she walked back over to the commander. "I haven't done any work as the new XO yet, but I'm going to need to use both of my benefits."

Shepard looked at her with a cocked eyebrow. "Why would you need to do that?" Shepard feigned ignorance of her flirting.

Miranda caressed Shepard's chest with her free hand. "The showers on deck three are being used." Lawson moved her hand down his chest and on to his abdomen. She bit her bottom lip seductively as she caressed his muscles. "And I need you to help me shower, my injury is becoming really painful and I need your assistance."

"That's sounds very reasonable." The commander said with a nod.

"Good." Miranda replied as she grabbed Shepard's hand and led him to the Shower.

Steam filled the room as warm water showered upon the couple. The water rinsed the filth away from their skin but not their minds.

Shepard's arms embraced Miranda from behind, his hands glided upon her skin, exploring every curve and crevice.

Lawson moaned as the commander's hands roamed her porcelain skin. Her right hand gently held the back of Shepard's head as he nipped and kissed her soft skin. She rubbed her round ass against his wet body, the commander groaned hungrily in response.

She turned around in his grasp and kissed his lips, their tongues swirled around each other. Lawson couldn't stop herself from moaning into the kiss once Shepard squeezed her ass. She felt horny and ravenous for his touch.

Miranda's hand slide down Shepard's torso and wrapped itself loosely around his shaft, pumping it with her slippery hand.

"I need you." Miranda's voice was husked with need.

Shepard could see the lust in her eyes, and hear the desire in her voice. He needed it take her now, his erection was unbearably hard.

Without another word the commander turned the shower off and placed his hands on the back of Miranda's thighs.

Wordlessly, Miranda wrapped her legs around Shepard's waist as his hands supported her weight.

Their lips met together in a possessive and intoxicating kiss, as he carried her lithe body to his bed.

Miranda's lips started to sting lightly as they began to swell, but she was too aroused to care. She needed him inside of her

Shepard gently placed her onto his bed. He was breathless at the sight of her naked and wet body. She was sexy in every way possible. Her scent, her looks, her touch, everything about her was intoxicating to him. He needed her.

Miranda slid backwards, tempting Shepard to follow her onto the bed.

Their lips meet once again in a kiss that was fuelled by and animalistic hunger for one another.

Shepard broke the kiss off early, making Miranda whimper from the loss of his lips.

He smirked devilishly at the effect he had on her. He slid his right hand up her leg and towards her ample breast. He fondled her as he kissed his way down her neck, stopping only to gently bite at her skin.

Miranda's thoughts became increasingly libidinous as Shepard's lips moved down her throat and onto her collar bone.

He slowed his pace down as he kissed his way towards her nipple.

She felt her body tense up as he got closer and closer towards the left peak of her bosom.

Shepard grinned to himself as her avoided her sensitive area, making a circle of kisses around it.

"You teasing bastard." Miranda muttered as she stifled a moan.

Shepard could feel the tension in Miranda body and the lust in her voice; he had her right where he wanted her. He let his hot breath kiss her sensitive skin, she quivered with anticipation.

"You are so sexy." Shepard mumbled to the woman beneath him.

Lawson held Shepard's face to her breast. She was losing control of herself, and she was enjoying every moment of it.

He grazed her nipple with his teeth.

Lawson cried out as she arched her back, almost blinded by pleasure.

Shepard went back to slowly kissing his down Miranda's breast, until he finally reached her abdomen. The lust that was building up in Miranda caused her to push down on Shepard's head, encouraging him to pick up the pace.

"I need you... please." She mumbled in between her heavy breaths.

He ignored her and continued at his slow pace, torturing her with unbearable pleasure. He loved seeing her this way, under the influence of her animalistic desires.

Shepard slowly kissed his way down Miranda's hips, teasing her with every kiss, as he inched his way to towards her vulva. "P-please I... I can't," Miranda voice was breathless "H-handle any... more teasing." Her voice was the very embodiment of lust

When her hands once again found their way to Shepard's head, he did not resist there gentle pushes. His hands caressed her inner thighs as he carefully spread her legs apart.

Miranda trembled lightly as Shepard's warm breath kissed her vagina.

His tongue penetrated her, ripping a moan from her as she arched her back in pleasure. He started off slowly, punishing her with waves of pleasure that made her body convulsions.

Miranda's hands raked their way through Shepard's hair as she moaned loudly.

"Fuck," Miranda cursed loudly "You... are great a-at this." Her voice was a messy stutter filled with moans and deep breaths.

Shepard smiled roguishly as Miranda's tried to calm her body down. He ran his tongue up and down her slit until he found her clitoris.

"A little hi-." Miranda's words were lost in a scream as fiery ripples of pleasure were sent through her body. She arched her back again as her body jerked. Her hands clenched the sheets, turning her knuckles white. Shepard held her hips down so he could continue licking and sucking on her clit.

Lawson closed her eyes as she felt the euphoria of her orgasm. He greedily lapped up her juices as she grinded herself against his face.

Miranda cupped Shepard's cheeks with her shaky hands. She rested her back on the headboard as she pulled Shepard's face closer to her own.

She kissed him slowly, tasting herself as theirs tongues danced together.

She gently bit his bottom lip as they broke their kiss.

Miranda ran her hands up and down Shepard's chest; her eyes slowly examined his body. "We have to be gentle." She said softly as she looked lovingly into his eyes. "We're still injured."

Shepard smiled at her "I'll try my best."

Lawson quickly flipped him on to his back and straddled him.

"You did enough already." Miranda said as she placed her hands onto his chest. "It's my turn to pleasure you."

Miranda slid off of Shepard and sat in between his legs.

The commander crawled back towards the headboard and rested his back against it.

She followed him, keeping her legs between his own and her arms on either side of his torso. They leaned forward and pressed their lips together once again, basking in each other's scent.

Miranda moved her lips on to his cheek and then down his neck, Shepard could feel his muscles tighten as she reached his chest.

She stopped her actions and looked up at his lust filled eyes. "Pay back's a bitch." She flirted with a wink before continuing her actions.

Shepard groaned as her teeth lightly nipped his skin. His hands found their way to Miranda's toned and smooth thighs. His hands glided over the exposed skin, carefully avoiding her bandage.

She moaned lightly as his hands caressed and squeezed her ass.

"Move... your legs... to the left." Shepard said between grunts.

She moved her legs over to his left side, giving him better accesses to her sensitive areas.

Miranda's lips finally meet with the end of Shepard's abdomen. She stopped and gazed up at his eyes, slowly licking her lips. Her left hand slowly slid up his right thigh, her soft lips crashed against his. She wrapped her hand around his cock once again, as Shepard slid his fingers inside of her.

They moaned passionately into the kiss as they pleasured each other.

Miranda broke the kiss and moved her lips onto his neck and then quickly onto his chest, her hand stilled wrapped firmly around his shaft. She reached the bottom of his abdomen in only four short kisses.

Lawson salacious eyes meet Shepard's, as her hot breath and mouth linger over his pulsating erection. Shepard groaned out of desire as he pulsated in her hands.

Miranda could feel his muscles tighten with every breath she took and every motion she made. The combination of Shepard fingering her and the smell that he gave off drove her mad with lust.

She slowly licked her lips as her eyes remained locked onto Shepard's. Miranda slowly pressed her lips on the bottom of his shaft. She slowly moved her lips upwards, kissing, licking and sucking on his shaft as she slowly moved towards his head.

Shepard slid his fingers out of Miranda and started massaging her clitoris, she moaned against him, sending vibrations throughout his body. Shepard felt like his brain was being electrified by his ever growing concupiscence.

Lawson pulled Shepard's foreskin back, exposing his head. Her tongue swirled slowly around his head. He could feel his muscles tighten as he growled with pleasure.

Once Miranda had soaked his cock in her saliva, she ran her lips up and down the underside of his shaft three times. On the third time up she quickly swirled her tongue around his head before she started to suck on it.

Shepard groaned as her mouth moved further and further down his shaft. His sounds of ecstasy made her painfully horny.

Miranda rarely engaged in oral sex with men, her missions required her to be in control, get what she needed, and leave as fast as possible with the least amount of social interaction as possible.

Even with her one night stands she found that she rarely performed oral sex. Most of her one night stands didn't pleasure her in such a way, so she never felt an obligation to. Oral sex also felt strangely intimate to her, like it was something more than just sex.

Shepard's breath became ragged as Miranda continued too pleasures him.

He squeezed and spanked her ass causing her to moan with lust, his hand gently massaged the red area before sliding down her leg, and back up the inside of her thigh.

She loved it when he was rough and forceful with her, his small displays of dominance made her feel like he needed her.

There was also a feeling of respect that came with his rougher actions. Miranda was relieved that Shepard wasn't afraid to be rough with her, small amount of sensual pain was one of her secret pleasure that no one had figured out... until now.

Lawson's moans grew louder as Shepard's fingers found her sensitive clit.

Her swollen lips slide back up his shaft. Her tongue swirled around his head once more, pushing him over the edge with lust.

Shepard wrapped his right hand around Miranda's throat and pulled her face into his own. Their lips locked into an intense kiss, driven by frenzied lust. They moaned into the kiss, mixing their voices together to form a symphony of libido.

Miranda straddled Shepard as their kiss deepened. She wanted to be closer to him, to feel her chest pressed up against her own.

Shepard caressed Lawson's butt as she slowly grinded her hips against his own.

They broke for air and stare deeply into each other's eyes as they shared the same breath.

"Are you okay?" Shepard's voice was almost a whisper due to their vigorous expression of passion.

"No," Miranda's breathless voice replied. "I need your cock inside of me."

Shepard smiled lightly. "You are so fucking sexy."

Their lips reunited briefly as Miranda guided Shepard's cock inside of her. Their lips broke contact as Miranda slowly lowered herself onto Shepard. She let out a deep breath as he penetrated her.

They had sex slowly and passionately, the act of sex became something different with their slow pace.

It became less about their lust for each other and more about something stronger, something that gave sex a different feeling.

Their tongues dance together.

The air was still thick with lust but they didn't want to devour each other, instead they hunger for closeness on the most intimate level. Their focus was on the other person, their pleasure and desire became even more important than their own.

Their thighs burned and their pace gained in speed as they came closer to the blissful end.

Miranda held onto Shepard's shoulders for support as he trusted into her, meeting her hips as she grinded herself against him.

A thin layer of sweat glistened off their bodies as they edged closer and closer to the end. They broke for air and starred into each other's eyes.

Deep breaths turned into moans as they climaxed together. Their eyes stayed locked as Miranda continued to ride Shepard, moaning as her orgasm shook her body.

Shepard continued to thrust into her as his orgasm reached its end. Their lips locked as Miranda continued to ride him, pushing her into another climax.

Miranda broke the kiss as she cried out with raw and intense pleasure. Her whole body shook as she collapsed onto Shepard's chest, moaning the name "John" softly into his chest. Her head nestled into his neck as her orgasm pulsated throughout her body. Her hands pawed at his chest as her breathing slowed.

Miranda lightly kissed Shepard's neck, her teeth grazed his skin. Her lips moved up his jaw line and towards his ear. "You," she whispered softly into his ear. "Are fucking amazing."

"We," Shepard corrected in a playful voice. "Are fucking amazing." Their lips locked shortly after his words.

Miranda felt safe in his arms, she could let her guard down and simply live her life. In his arms she didn't feel the need to watch her back constantly because she trusted Shepard to protector her.

Part of her hated this feeling, it was naive and hazardous. Yet, a larger portion of her was hopelessly captivated by this feeling.

While wrapped in his arms, all of the galaxy's glaring problems seemed to dissipate, blending into the blackness of space, becoming an overlooked detail in the background.

His hands lightly caressed her hips as his lips assaulted hers, she felt a strong and seemingly foreign emotion that was so vacant in her life before that only now... in his arms... it shone brightly like a quasar.

She felt something like it before with Oriana, but with Shepard it was different. It felt stronger, containing more euphoric emotions and a sense of safety that surpassed anything she had ever felt before. Every touch she shared with Shepard made her feel happy, comfortable, and wanted.

Miranda wrapped her arms around Shepard's neck. His right hand squeezed her ass, causing her to moan into the kiss.

Lawson was dazed with the lust she felt for Shepard.

She had sexual desires for many different men before she met Shepard, but those past feelings of desire were easily demisable.

Normally she had total control over herself, but with Shepard it was different. She couldn't stop the lust that was growing inside her nor could she control it, her desire for Shepard controlled her. This raw and uncontrollable feeling of need made her so horny.

Miranda bit Shepard's bottom lip as she broke the kiss. She studied his body, licking her lips seductively.

"You're so addictive." Shepard complemented Miranda in a husky voice as his hands caressed her hips.

Miranda purred as her hands glided down Shepard's body. She bit her bottom lip as she grinded her hips against his. His left hand glided down her body and onto her thigh. Using his right hand to support Miranda's head and neck, he sat up from the headboard, hiking her left leg up his waist as he laid her body down upon the bed.

Miranda's right hand pushed on the back of Shepard's head; bring his lips to her own. She caressed Shepard's stubble covered face as they deepened the kiss, they moaned lightly into the kiss.

Shepard slid his hand up her thigh but stopped suddenly as he felt wet gauze. He pulled away from her lips and looked down towards her leg.

Miranda whimper lightly as Shepard's lips left hers. Her lust filled vision began to clear as she saw concern on his face as he looked down her body.

Lawson pushed Shepard's chin up so their eyes locked. "What's wrong?" Her voice was mixture of desire and concern.

"You're bleeding." Shepard backed away from her so she could see her leg.

The gauze white gauze was now stained a dark red. Miranda's leg and inner thighs started to hurt once the epinephrine that flooded her veins evaporated.

"I will be fine." Miranda said as she sat up. "I just have to put some Medi-gel on it." She held on to the sides of his face and pulled him into a kiss.

Shepard sat down beside her on the bed. "Once your leg is patched up we need to shower and make the bed."

Miranda smiled as she looked at Shepard's sweaty body. "We got quite messy," her sultry accented voice kissed his ears softly. "Wouldn't you agree commander?"

Shepard leaned towards Lawson and kissed her lips. "I would have to agree with you Miss Lawson." His arm snaked itself around her back, he pulled her close to him and kiss her temple. Miranda smiled lightly at his affectionate gesture. "It was totally worth it though." Shepard whispered in her ear.

Miranda chuckled. "Defiantly." Lawson looked back down at her bloodied leg; she really needed to look at it.

Miranda got off of the bed and on to her slightly wobbly legs. She walked into the middle of the room, her left leg had slight limp. "Are you coming, commander?" She called over her shoulder, giving him a wink before she continued on her way.

Shepard quickly got out of the bed and chased after her.

Lawson yelped as he swept her off of her feet and into his arms, she wrapped her arms tightly around his neck.

"I didn't know I had that much of an effect on you." Miranda flirted as her lips drifted closely to his ear.

"You don't know that half of it." Shepard muttered in a husky voice.

Miranda felt her skin tingle from his words.

Once they entered the small room Shepard sat Miranda down on the bathroom counter.

She started to unwrap her bandage as he got the first aid kit out of the closet.

Miranda frowned lightly once the bandage was removed. Any sign of recovery had been washed out with blood.

"You know," Shepard's voice was playful as he tried to cheer her up. "If the Medi-gel doesn't work we could always suture it." He placed a small container of Medi-gel, a fresh gaze bandage, and a clean cloth beside her as he stood between her legs.

Miranda shook her head a as she smiled at Shepard. "No one uses sutures any more; they take longer to heal and are prone to infections." Lawson ran the cloth under hot water. "Medi-gel also has local anaesthetics so it doesn't become irritating like a suture." Miranda started to wipe the blood off of her leg.

Shepard smiled at her. "Stitches aren't that bad, I turned out fine and I had lots of them."

Miranda gave Shepard a puzzled look "You had multiple stitches?" Lawson asked as she threw the cloth in the cloth into the sink, and grabbed the small container of Medi-gel.

"Yeah," Shepard smiled lightly "One of the many perks of living in a slum for eighteen years." His voice had a light chuckle to it, but she could hear the pain that was hidden deep within his laugh. "Hospitals were poor, Doctor's had to report gunshot wounds and buying a lot of Medi-gel from the local pharmacy is an easy way to get the cops on your tail." Shepard continued. "To live out there, you had to be resourceful."

Miranda Looked at Shepard's face with a flabbergasted expression. "You were in a gang? Why wasn't that mentioned in your files?" Lawson questioned as she twisted off the cap to the Medi-gel and began applying it to her leg. "I had access to uncensored versions of your redacted files, how did that slip past me?" She asked in frustration as she looked down at her leg, carefully applying the Medi-gel.

"You didn't miss anything." Shepard smiled at Miranda. "My involvement with the Tenth Street Reds isn't recorded anywhere."

She looked into his eyes with concern. "Does the Alliance know about any of this?"

"Of course," Shepard responded openly. "The Alliance is the one that covered it all up."

The severity of what he was telling her hit Lawson like a shockwave. "Who else knows about this?"

"You and some of the Alliance higher ups are the only people who know about this." He responded frankly.

"Not even Garrus?" Miranda asked in shock.

"I don't know how I would tell him," Shepard spoke sadly. "The Reds became very xenophobic after I left, and with how much Garrus hates crime..." His words trailed off "I don't think it would be a good idea."

"What about Williams," The woman's name felt corrosive to Miranda's tongue, but she manage to keep herself calm, "I thought the two of you were in a relationship."

Shepard smiled lightly at Miranda. "Was that jealousy I heard?"

"Don't be absurd." She huffed.

Shepard's smile grew slightly. "If it makes you feel any better, I wouldn't classify what we had as a relationship."

Miranda smiled lightly at Shepard before her face became serious again. She breathed out slowly and looked down at Shepard's abdomen. "Why are you telling me all of this," her voice was soft. "If any of this ever got out it could severely damage your career and reputation." She twisted the cap back onto the small container and placed it on the counter. She rested her hands in her lap. "You've only known me for a couple of months. I'm an ex-Cerberus officer- a terrorist in the eyes of the Alliance!" Her eyes didn't even dare to look into his. "So, why are you telling me all of this?" her voice was soft and laced with pain.

He tilted her chin up, forcing her to look at his face. He could see pain and hatred deeply rooted in her beautiful eyes. He recognize the feeling the moment he saw it, the self inflicted sadness, the type of sorrow that is brought on by looking at a mirror... and ripping the stranger apart as they struggled to live.

"Miranda," Shepard's voice was soft and caring. "I trust you." His hands held on to her hips and pulled her closer to the edge of the table. "After you trusted me with helping you get Oriana to safety, I saw the real you and you still saw the real me." Shepard chuckled lightly. "You didn't seem me as this hero that most people do. You saw me as another person, capable of making mistake." His hand cupped her cheek. "You opening up to me is the best thing that has ever happened to me a long time." Miranda leaned into his touch.

"Originally you had my interest because you were beautiful, smart, and pragmatic." Shepard felt like an idiot as he smiled at her.

"Then you showed me the real you. The snarky, flirtatious, capable, insecure, intoxicatingly captivate, and serious yet playful woman that I can't clear my thoughts of." Shepard grabbed the Medi-gel as he backed away from Miranda. "I feel like you're the only one that I can talk about my past with." He placed the Medi-gel back in the nearby cabinet. "You understand that sometimes you have to do the wrong thing for the right reason..." His words trailed off as he stared blankly in to the cabinet. "With some of the things I've done..."

Miranda saw the spark of life leave Shepard's eyes. His eyes seemed blank. To a normal person he would have seemed emotionless and unaffected by his past. But Miranda knew what it felt like to be haunted by the ghosts of your past. She could see all of the pain and darkness that had accumulated within him over his life.

Lawson slide off of the counter and embraced Shepard in a hug, pulling him out of his thoughts.

"Thank you." Shepard muttered as the pain dissipated from his face.

Miranda stroked his cheek, causing him to look at her. She kissed him softly and passionately, expressing what she felt with actions rather than words. She slowly broke the kiss and rested her head on his shoulder.

"Thank you for trusting me." Miranda whispered into Shepard's ear.

He kissed her forehead. "After you trusted me with your sister, I felt like I connected with you, like I could trust you."

Miranda kissed the side of Shepard's neck. "I want you to be able to trust me; I want you to tell me anything."

Shepard smiled at the woman in his arms. "I want the same thing, you mean a lot to me Miranda."

"Good," Miranda mumbled into his shoulder. "Because I care about you John."

Shepard smiled lightly. "I like the way my name sound's in your voice."

Miranda smiled back at him. "Why, because the first time I said it was during sex?"

Shepard laughed "I thought it was just the accent," he said innocently "However you moaning it defiantly swayed my opinion."

They held each other in silence for a few seconds before Miranda slipped out of his arms. "We should start showering so we can fix the bed and get a reasonable amount of sleep."

Shepard nodded. "Yeah, I have to help the crew patch up the cargo bay tomorrow."

"Well let's get going then." Miranda said with a wink as she pulled Shepard into the shower.

The couple washed each other in a hot shower, relaxing their weak and tired muscles as their lips met for brief kisses and their hands offered each other a tender caress.

After a long and steamy shower they made the bed together, smiling at the normality of it all.

"Shepard!" Miranda giggled as he swept her off her feet and tossed her onto the bed. "Stop it I really need to get dressed." She tried desperately to sound serious, yet she couldn't stop giggling with a smile.

"I don't think you need to." Shepard said with a grin as he pinned her wrists to the bed.

Miranda struggled against him half heartedly. "I really do."

"And why is that?" Shepard asked with a devilish grin.

"I have to go back to my room." Miranda explained with a light giggle.

"Do you really now?"

"Yes."

"Care to enlighten me, Miss Lawson?" Shepard asked playfully.

Miranda rolled her eyes "The crew will know that we're together if I leave your cabin in the morning." Miranda smiled at him. "As much as I would love to stay, we still have a job to do and a professional appearance to uphold."

Shepard chuckled as he let go of her. "There is going to be nothing professional looking about the crew catching you sneaking out of my cabin during the middle of the night."

"Its mid night Shepard," Miranda giggled "The only people awake are going to be the crew working night shift in the Command Center."

"Is that so Miss Lawson?" Shepard smiled "EDI, How many of the crew members are awake."

"Eighty percent of the crew members are still awake Commander." Edi answered after a short pause.

"What deck are most of the crew located?" Shepard asked as his grin grew larger.

"Ninety percent of the active crew members are in the mess hall on deck 3, the remaining ten percent are working nightshift in the CIC. Is there anything else Commander."

"No," Shepard smiled proudly. "I think I proved my point."

Miranda rolled her eyes "Stop smiling you ass."

Shepard placed his arms on either side of Miranda's head as he hovered above her.

"What, is someone upset that they were wrong." Shepard's lips moved closer to Lawson's.

"I'm upset that I have to spend the night with an ass." Miranda retorted.

Shepard's lips lightly grazed Miranda's before he quickly pull away from her.

"Well if that's how you really feel," The commander started to get out of the bed. "I could always sleep on the couch."

Miranda felt the coldness of an operating room table on the back of her neck, and the thick smell of the collector based seemed to linger in her nose the further away he moved. She didn't want to sleep alone, not tonight, not while the vision of her father and the collector base were still fresh in her brain.

Miranda wrapped her arms around Shepard's waist, stopping him from leaving.

"Not so fast," Miranda kissed the back of Shepard's neck. "I still need something to keep me warm."

Shepard chuckled. "Is that all I'm good for?"

"No," Miranda grinned as she placed her head on his shoulder, pressing her chest onto his back. "You're also a great sex toy."

"Is that so?"

"Yeah," Miranda answered. "But I'm too tired right now."

Lawson unwrapped herself from Shepard's body and slide into the covers of the bed. "However, I do need you to warm me up. "

"Warm you up?" Shepard moved away from the edge of the bed and closer to the irresistible woman bedside him. "It sounds to me like you just want to cuddle."

"Maybe I do," Miranda's hand reached out and lightly touched his chest. "Would that be so wrong?" she asked innocently as their lips slowly drew closer.

"No, no it wouldn't be." Shepard whispered before their lips locked.

 **The dark woods of ruination...**

Miranda's breath was shaky and on the verge of tears as she talked. "You were the first real thing I had in my life and I was scared of losing you."

Shepard squeezed Miranda's hand, causing her to look at his loving and caring eyes. "I love you Miranda, you're not going to lose me. I could never leave you."

Something about this park was off. It was eerily different to any park he had been to. The park seemed to change with his emotions, filling him with child like optimism whenever he was with Miranda and something darker and sinister whenever he thought about things like his father.

Shepard froze, his father, h-he was dead, stone... stone dead. Yet he was in the park, how could that be possible? There was no way in hell that anyone would want to resurrect him. So how, how the fuck did he see him earlier?

Miranda kissed Shepard's brow, slightly pulling him away from his thoughts.

"When you wake up, everything will change for us, and it will be on our terms."

"W-when I wake up?" Shepard asked out loud.

Shepard reached out to touch Miranda, but his hand past right through her.

" _When you wake up,"_ The words burn themselves into his brain.

" _When you wake up,"_ Where was he now? He knew he wasn't in hell or heaven, he had died once already and found no such thing as an afterlife.

" _When you wake up_ ," The words repeated themselves like a fucking mantra.

" _When you wake up,_ " Where was he last? He couldn't remember anything.

" _When you wake up_ ," Shepard's brain felt like it was on fire as he tried to concentrate and drown out the voice.

His last mission, he remembered rushing towards the citadel-the catalyst, the crucible needed to be fired.

" _When you wake up,_ " Shepard head throbbed as he tried to focus.

" _Is this what reaper indoctrination feels like?_ " Shepard shook his head as the thought crossed his mind. No, he couldn't be indoctrinated. He wouldn't be able to question his state of mind if he was, wouldn't he?

Shepard shook his head and cleared his thought's. He needed to see Miranda again, he needed to have a drink with Garrus and help James pass the N7 training course. He had so much left to do, he couldn't give up now, all he needed to do was wake up...

 **Somewhere...**

Shepard felt heavy, he tried to open his eyes, move his legs, wave his arms, but they were all paralyzed. He was completely immobile, yet he could still hear the calm beeping of a heart monitor.

He could feel the warmness and uncomfortable cushion of a hospital mattress beneath him.

He felt a familiar hand in his own as the scent of her perspiration calmed him, Miranda.

He was home now.

 **AN: Sorry that this took so long. I got busy with a lot of stuff and didn't really have time to work on this. Also I updated Miranda's age in Chapter 2 so it's actually correct (She's 36) and added chapter names. The next chapter will deal with the present and will further the story line. Please leave a review or PM me. Seriously the reviews I've gotten are incredible, thank you.**

 **Sincerely: Chosen Undead27**


	5. The Turian and The Jester

**Earth- Outside of the Hospital...**

"Fuck," Williams cursed silently as she paced the deteriorated sidewalk. "Pick up already."

She ran her hand through her hair as she listened to the vexing ring tone of the omni-tool.

"Fucking pick up," she muttered.

The omni-tool stopped ringing once the call was answered.

"Finally," Williams raised her voice as the video chat started. "I've been calling you for the past the five minutes."

"Wow," A manly voice chuckled. "Is this what it would be like to date you? So demanding and obsessive, I'm surprised that none of your past boyfriends died of suffocation. "

Ashley clenched her fist lightly. "Justin now's not the time for jokes." her voice had anxiety mixed into her frustration.

Justin looked around the room nervously. "Yeah... sorry about that, I was just trying lighten the mood."

Ashley sighed. "It's alright you're forgiven." She licked her lips impatiently as her eyes avoided Justin's face. "Did you find anything?"

"No," Justin responded "We just got to the Citadel now."

"Are you serious?!" Williams was out raged. "Why did it take you so long?"

"We had to check the perimeter three times. The Alliance brass doesn't want to risk the possibilities of having reapers lurking around." Justin responded calmly.

"That's ridiculous," Ashley huffed before her voice became softer. "Call me as soon as you find them."

Justin looked at her sadly. "Ash... there was a lot of people on the Citadel the chances of me finding-"

"Justin," Williams interrupted. "I really need you to find my family. If I lost them..." Her voice trailed off into the dark streets.

"I'll do my best."

 **Normandy Crash Site...**

Garrus slowly lower himself out of the Normandy and into the bright and colourful land of the unknown.

The ground was soft and natural, a replica of what many other planets used to be like before they were embraced by the thirst for knowledge. Coated in holes and buried under construction forged from the blood and bones of the land.

Garrus took a deep breath as the pure air flooded his nostrils. Although everything looked calm and peaceful, the Turian felt on edge. He felt like he became part of the land, a resident of this beautiful place, and a part of its food chain.

James sat on a couple of crates two feet away from the exit.

"Hey," James called out. "Taylor, try not to drop anything while you're up there."

"Fuck off asshole!" A woman's voice yelled back playfully from atop the Normandy.

"Excuse me, but that's lieutenant asshole to you."

Garrus chuckled. "I see that you're using your time well."

"I'm just trying to brighten the mood." James said with a smile.

"The only way you could brighten the mood is by leaving." Taylor jested as she adjusted the panels on the roof. Another voice on the roof giggled.

"You won't find that so funny after I kick your ass Miller." James shouted.

"Hi Alison!" Garrus shouted as he walked over to Vega.

"Hello Garrus!" Taylor hollered from the roof.

"Wait," James chuckled "You too are on first name basis? I feel betrayed Taylor. We're both in the Alliance, we should be best friends."

"Maybe, but Garrus isn't an asshole."

"That's just cold Taylor."

"She's not being cold that's just standard procedure on how to treat drug users." Miller spoke up. "Steroids are bad for you Vega."

Taylor laughed. "Aaron just called you out on that one Vega. I knew those gorilla arms were fake."

"What, you two are on first name bases too?!" James was flabbergasted. "Whatever, scars and I have to talk, see you two later."

"Shit, you're coming back. I thought we would finally get a break from you."

"Fuck you Miller, I know you like me." James retorted as he waved for Garrus to follow him.

"Whatever Vega..."

Garrus silently followed James into the nearby woods.

"Alright," The Alliance marine said as he slowed down to a stop. "We should be far enough now."

The Turian shifted his weight on to his left leg and stared at the marine inquisitively. "What's with all the secrecy?"

"I don't want to spread gossip amongst the crew." James said quietly as he looked around the forest.

Garrus's muscles tensed and his slack posture disappeared as he heard the seriousness in Vega's voice.  
"What's the problem?"

The Alliance marine sighed. "It's about Joker. Have you seen him recently?"

"No I've been busy running the ship and helping with repairs," Garrus felt gilt wash over him. The Turian was so sidetracked by everything going on that he forgot to check on Joker, with what happened to Edi... Garrus couldn't even begin to fathom how the pilot felt. "Is he Okay?"

"I don't think so," James said as he leaned against the tree. "I'm not sure because he won't talk to me."

The marine massaged his sore neck. "He's been sitting by himself for the past four hours."

Garrus nodded slowly. "I'll go talk to him."

"That would be a good idea." James relaxed somewhat but there was still an uneasy look to him. "That was all I had for you."

Garrus nodded, he could feel tension radiating from Vega's body. The Turian brushed it off, who wouldn't be anxious. The possibilities of them not getting off of this planet were high.

Garrus turned to leave when James spoke up. "Wait, before you go, can I ask you something?"

"Go ahead." Garrus said as he faced the human once again.

"Does..." James sighed. "Does this planet seem... off to you? Like it..."

"Like it doesn't want us here..." Garrus said before headed back toward the Normandy.

 **Earth- Hospital- Commander Shepard's room...**

Miranda played with Shepard's hand absent mindedly. Her eyes felt heavy as she brushed his rough knuckles against her soft lips.

It had been nearly two days since Shepard was brought to the hospital, Miranda hadn't left his side once nor had she slept. She wanted to be the first person he saw when he woke up. She was eager for him to hold her lovingly as they rejoiced in their reunion and planned their future together.

Miranda stared warmly at Shepard's face, studying his calm visage. She hardly saw him like this; normally his face bore the signs of stress, determination, and anger. On the rare occasions when they were alone she got to see a whole different side to him. Passion, love, lust, and tranquility would softly kiss his features when they held each other in a warm embrace.

Lawson's omni-tool beeped loudly, pulling her focus off of Shepard. She quickly opened her messages and read the newest text message from Oriana.

 **Oriana:** Hey, are you free now?

Miranda sighed; she was so caught up with Shepard that she forgot all about her sister's pervious message.

 **Miranda:** Hello, yeah I'm free. I will call you right away.

Lawson closed her messages and opened a video chat. She briefly let go of Shepard's hand to quickly comb her hair with her hands.

Miranda looked at her face on the video chat.

She looked terrible, her hair was a mess, her face lightly coated in dirt and dust, and her body was covered in cuts.

Miranda entered Oriana's contact information and waited for the video chat to connect.

The video call only rang once before it was quickly picked up.

"Hey Ori." Miranda greeted softly. Seeing her sister always made her happy. Oriana was so young and vibrant, full of life in a world torn by violence and corruption.

The younger sister smiled brightly. "Hi Mira..." Oriana covered her mouth in shock. "By the goddess, what happened to you Randa?!"

Miranda chuckled lightly. "I was in a war Ori."

"I thought the fighting was over two days ago, why haven't you showered?" Oriana was bewildered.

Miranda ran her thumb over Shepard's knuckles. "I was busy."

"Randa you have blood in your hair, you can't be serious!" the younger sister was mortified.

Miranda felt embarrassed. She looked towards the end table to her left. There was a set of scrubs and clean towel.

After Miranda's second night by Shepard's side, Doctor Michel had given Miranda the clean set of clothes and told her that she was free to use the facilities showers. Luckily, due to Shepard's notoriety he was given a private room with its very own washroom that included a shower.

"I promise I will have a shower once we finish talking." Miranda tried to calm her sister.

"Nope," Oriana replied sternly. "That's not good enough." Her camera started shaking as she moved around. "I'm coming to earth and I'm going to look after you."

"Ori you can't just..."

"What's that?" Oriana tossed suit case on to a table and noisily started to pack it. "I can't hear you over the sound of me being an amazing sister."

"Ori listen to..."

"Oh no someone outside needs my help, I will see you later."

"Ori..."

"Bye Randa I love you!"

The called ended.

Miranda sighed as she rubbed her temples. Maybe a shower would be good for her.

Lawson grabbed the towel and scrubs before she kiss Shepard's temple. "I will be back soon."

 **Normandy Crash Site...**

Garrus found joker outside of the Normandy dangling his legs off a cliff as he looked out at the sunset.

"Hey," Garrus said as he sat down beside the pilot. "How are you holding up?"

Joker laughed darkly. "Great, fantastic, I just left my best friend on an exploding ship, I think my sister and my dad are dead, Edi is... So yeah I'm doing fucking fantastic Garrus. We should sing songs and go on adventures. Then we could write a book about it titled, The Turian and The Jester."

"Shepard's not dead and we will get off this planet." Garrus tried to comfort the pilot.

Joker laughed sardonically. "What are you going to tell me next, that the pain is going to fade away? Because that's bullshit, it doesn't just fade away. We hide it until we can't anymore and we decide to make abstract paintings on the wall with our brains."

Garrus snorted. "So that's it, you're just going to roll over and die?" his mandibles twitched into a snarl. "After all the sacrifices we made, all the people that died, and all the families that were tore apart, you want to give up?!"

Garrus stood up from his spot. "Look around you, everyone's lost someone." The Turian's voice was much softer. His hand rested on jokers shoulder as he knelt beside him. "The hard part is over Joker. Now you have to live and enjoy your life to honor all of those who didn't make it."

Joker nodded silently as he looked out at the sun set.

Garrus sighed as he sat down again. "You know the Alliance might be able to get Edi back."

"I hope so." Joker replied, his words drifting off in the

 **Earth- Hospital- Commander Shepard's room...**

Miranda felt refreshed by the warm shower, but as the slow tick-tock of time progressed she felt more and more weary. Her head felt heavy and her eyes felt like they were going to pop out of their sockets. It was inescapable; the slow ever crawling shadow of time had enveloped her in the dark mist of exhaustion.

"I'm going to get some tea," Miranda whispered before she kissed Shepard's forehead. "I will be right back." She slowly stood up, trying not to pass out from the sudden light headedness.

Miranda followed the signs to the cafeteria. The hallways were liter with patients. Some of the wounded had beds out in the hallways, while others occupied the uncomfortable chairs in the waiting room.

Lawson stepped into the nearly empty cafeteria. The room smelled heavily of coffee, light chatter drowned out the noise of silence. In the far right corner of the spacious room was a large table of doctors and surgeons, their eyes were red and puffy from a lack of sleep. To the left was a small table, filled with a variety of coffees, teas, filters, sugars, and baked goods.

Miranda's head pounded as she walked towards the small table on the left side of the room. Her left eye twitched and her muscles ached. Lawson could feel herself deteriorating with every second, as if she had a slow and lethal disease.

Miranda looked through the wide variety of teas. "Perfect." She mumbled as she found a packet containing black tea. Miranda rubbed her eyes as she grabbed a Styrofoam cup and started filling it with steaming water.

"Where do you want the M. ?" A familiar voice could be heard echoing throughout the hallways.

"Shit." Miranda whispered under her breath.

"They go in the cafeteria, thank you Miss Williams."Another woman's voice could be heard in the hallway. "We have another issue that requires your assistance."

"What is it, doctor?" Ashley asked the

"One of the supply doors is malfunctioning and we need help opening it."

" _Please go and help them."_ Miranda pleaded silently.

"Of course, Smith, Cook, go help the doctor with the door." Ashley commanded "I will finish up here."

Miranda sighed. She really didn't want to deal with Williams right now. She tapped her foot impatiently as the hot water slowly filled the cup. The sound of approaching footsteps could be heard faintly.

"Could this thing be any slower?"Miranda muttered in annoyance.

The footsteps grew louder as the cup got closer and closer to being filled.

"Hurry up." Miranda grumbled to herself.

"Miss Lawson." Ashley greeted as she entered the room.

"Shit." Miranda whispered under her breath. "Miss Williams." She greeted back.

Williams examined Miranda's outfit. It was baggy and not flattering on the slim femme fatale, it hung off of her slender body like a drape. Her curves, soft skin, and alluring body were hidden under the dull hospital scrubs.

The ex-Cerberus officer didn't look like the over-sexualized woman that Williams had come to despise. Instead she looked painfully normal, like another person with her own problems. She was still pretty but Williams actually felt like competition when compared to her. Ashley had already come to accept that Miranda was more attractive than her. But now that the perfect Miss Lawson was dress like a normal person, Ashley felt like she could win Shepard back with personality alone.

"Nice clothes Lawson." Ashley placed the M. down on a nearby counter.

"At least I'm showered," Miranda looked disgustingly at the dirt and grime that stained Williams' skin and clothes. "Being filthy is rather appalling."

Ashley chuckled. "Well, you can safely enjoy the luxury of a shower everyday once you're locked up in prison."

"I'm not going to prison." Lawson ripped open the package of tea and then dipped the bag into her cup. "Besides orange does look that good on me," She smiled devilishly. "However I will keep those hand cuffs, you know what John is like in bed."

Ashley stared at Miranda with a confused and shocked expression.

"What, he never used hand cuffs on you?" Miranda asked in faux confusion. "I thought he would've, considering how strong you think your relationship with him is."

Williams scoffed. "That doesn't mean anything. He was just treating you like an object."

Lawson shrugged her shoulders indifferently as she dipped the tea bag into her water. "With how much attention he gave me I highly doubt that."

Ashley rolled her eyes. "It was just sex."

"I assume you would know what that feels like." Miranda riposted.

"What does that mean?" Ashley's frustration bled into her voice, her right hand clenched into a fist.

"He told me that you two didn't have anything special, so technically you were the one that was just used as a fuck toy." Miranda explained.

"Bullshit." Williams fumed, as she tried to restrain her emotions.

"I had my doubts too." Lawson confessed. "But then I learned something rather interesting."

Ashley rolled her eyes. "And what would that be?"

"John told me that you two never cuddled before." Miranda smirked as she saw the violated look on Williams' face. Miranda had invaded her privacy so easily; it made the Alliance marine's skin crawl.

"So, that doesn't mean anything." Ashley protested. "He's not that kind of guy."

Miranda chuckled lightly. "What do you mean by that?"

"He's not a very emotional person." Ashley smiled triumphantly. "Obviously you don't know him very much if you didn't notice that."

Miranda laughed darkly. "You think you know more about him than I do?" she shook her head in disbelief. "He told me things about him that you have no idea about." Her voice was venomous and smoldering with Contempt. "He professed his love for _me_ with what he thought was going to be his last breath." Miranda sipped on her tea before she continued talking. "Maybe you're the one that doesn't know him."

The tea was still watered down. She dipped the tea bag back into the water. "You know, I almost pity you. He held me almost every night when we were on the Normandy together." Miranda slid her left hand down the side of her body. "The way that his warm hands felt on my body," She softly bit her bottom lip. "The way he held my hips and pressed my body against him,"

"Stop." Ashley muttered as her knuckles turned white.

"The soothing feeling of his warm body wrapping around me, it was amazing." Miranda continued. "I get to experience that everyday once we leave the hospital, and you will never experience that with him." Lawson sipped on her tea again. "I would have felt bad for you if you weren't such a pathetic bitch."

"Shut up." Williams whispered as she stepped closer to Miranda.

"You're chasing after a man that doesn't want you." Lawson ignored her. "It's revolting to see you chase after him like a small girl. But I guess that what you are, a small little girl trapped in a woman's body. The way that you consistently verbally harass me because of your own securities is rather appalling."

Miranda rubbed her right temple as her head pulsated with pain. "I'm better than you, just accept it, John already did."

Lawson was so tired, her head felt heavy, her body was weak, and her reactions were slowed.

However it wasn't the caffeine that woke the ex-Cerberus officer up. It was the rush of adrenaline cause by a sudden strike to her left cheek that surged her with energy.

Miranda hit the floor hard. Her vision was blurred and tainted with blood. The whole left half of her face had the sensation of needles poking into her skin.

The words "Call security!" were yelled on the opposite side of the room.

"You're not so tough." Ashley scoffed. "I don't know what he sees in you."

"Fucking bitch, you will pay for that!" Miranda winced.

Miranda picked up her tea using biotics and threw it at Williams. Ashley tried to block the cup with her arm but the lid came off, she closed her eyes as the burning liquid splashed onto her face.

Lawson managed to pick herself off of the floor, she blindly kicked towards Ashley. Miranda's foot smashed into Williams' chest, knocking the alliance soldier into a nearby table.

"Seriously, you're going to fight me?" Williams almost laughed as she stood up.

Miranda stood her ground as her vision blurred and doubled.

"Crazy bitch." Ashley muttered as she threw a punch.

Lawson tried to dodge the punch as best as she could, but her dysfunctional vision caused her to lean too far. Ashley's fist slammed into Miranda's shoulder. Her shoulder flew back as she blindly threw out an upper cut, using the force of Ashley's punch to strengthen her own.

Miranda's upper cut missed the chin and hit Williams' on the left side of her jaw.

Lawson stumbled backwards, hardly managing to maintain her balance. Ashley's head recoiled as her upper and bottom teeth collided, the rich iron taste of blood filled her mouth. She quickly recovered and made a dash towards Lawson.

Miranda attempted to perform a round house kick, but in her dazed state she couldn't raise her foot past Ashley's chest. Williams effortlessly caught Lawson's leg and kneed her in the stomach. Miranda flexed her abdomen to weak the blow, and attempted to throw a punch. Ashley saw the punch coming and quickly swept Miranda's other leg, causing her to hit the ground hard.

"Is that all you got?" Miranda mumbled as she slowly started to pick herself up. Her jaw stung with every word she uttered.

Ashley picked Lawson up by the throat and pinned her to a nearby wall. "You crazy bitch, I already fucked up your face. Should I fuck up your fake body too?"

With what little energy she had left, Miranda quickly punched just below Williams' sternum, striking the celiac plexus.

Ashley's hands quickly released Miranda neck as she doubled over in pain. Her diaphragm spasmed, making every breath nearly impossible.

Lawson twirled as she struck Williams' right side with a round house kick, successfully hitting her liver and triggering the vagus nerve. She fell to the floor writhing in pain.

Miranda stumbled towards a nearby table. She slowly sat down as she waited for security to arrive. The pain in her face increased as the adrenaline coursing through her body weakened. She felt warm liquid leaking out of her eye socket and trickling down her left cheek. Lawson gingerly brushed some of the fluid onto her finger. She looked down at her hands; it was stained with the deep crimson red of blood.

"What the hell is going on in here?" Doctor Michel shouted as she entered the cafeteria.

"She assaulted me, I defended myself. She will be fine, I need medical attention." Miranda answered as quickly as possible. Her face stung with every movement of her jaw.

The doctor sighed and pointed to Ashley. "Security, drag Miss Williams out of here." She walked over to Lawson and looked at her eye. "She fractured your zygomatic bone, she must really hate you."

Miranda nodded silently.

"Danielle," Michel called a younger doctor over. "Help Miss Lawson reduce the swelling so she can be prepped for surgery." Michel sighed. "Someone clean this place up!"

 _ **8 Hours Later...**_

Miranda slowly got out of her hospital bed. Once the swelling in her face was reduced the surgeons carefully mended the fracture in her zygomatic. Since many of the hospital rooms and hallways were crowded with patients, Miranda had been placed in the same room as Shepard.

Lawson walked over to the chair she had placed beside Shepard. She gingerly sat down as her muscles ache dully.

"Miss Lawson." Doctor Danielle said as she poked her head into the room. "You have a woman named Oriana who wants to visit you."

Miranda nodded as she turned towards the door. "Send her in."

The doctor started walking into the room. "Can I examine your fracture now?"

"No," Miranda replied. "I already did."

Danielle laughed. "It doesn't work like that Miss."

Miranda sighed. "I was studying medicine before you even graduated High school," Her voice was intimidating and demanding. "I think I know what I'm doing."

"It would be wise to get a second opinion." Danielle persisted.

"Danielle, I'm fine. I promise." Miranda tried a sweeter and softer voice. "If I have any problems I will get someone too look at it."

"Fine, you're a doctor and you know what you're talking about." Danielle gave up. "We're already short staffed. I might as well find people who actually need my help." She left the room.

Miranda kissed Shepard's knuckles "I wish you and my sister could meet on good terms for once. Stopping her abduction and being in a coma isn't the best way of getting to know her."

"Randa!" Oriana exclaimed as she entered the room and hugged her sister from behind.

Miranda turned around in her sister's grasp and hugged her. "Hey Ori."

"I missed you." Oriana mumbled into Miranda's shoulder.

"I missed you too." Miranda replied as she patted her sister's back.

They pulled away from each other as she saw Shepard. "Is he okay?"

Miranda broke off from the hug and looked at Shepard with a loving gaze. "He's the toughest man I have ever known." She bent down and kissed Shepard's forehead. "He has already done the hardest part; all he has to do is wake up."

"Goddess!" Oriana exclaimed as she saw her sister's face. "What happened to you?" She reached out to her sister's face and lightly turned Miranda's cheek towards her.

"Ori I'm fine." Miranda said as she pushed her sister's hand away and sat back down on her chair. "It was just a fracture."

Oriana grabbed a chair and sat beside her sister. "Just a fracture, how do you say that with a straight face!" Oriana was annoyed with, and concerned about her older sister.

"It hurts to smile." Miranda dead panned.

"Miranda, that's not funny." Oriana replied in a serious tone.

"I thought it was." Miranda mumbled to herself.

"Broken bones are not funny, that's a serious injury. Especially when it's a bone that's in your face!"

"Ori calm down, I had surgery. I will be fine." Miranda said softly.

"Fine," Oriana huffed. "Will you at least tell me how you got it?"

"Will you freak out?" Miranda asked.

"No..."

"Promise me that you won't freak out."

"Fine," the younger sister gave in. "I promise that I won't freak out."

"I got into a fight With Ashley." Miranda said calmly.

"Isn't that Shepard's ex!?" Oriana exclaimed. She took a deep breath in, and calmed herself down.

"No." Miranda answered quickly.

"I thought you said that Shepard slept with Ashley?"

"Yeah they slept together, but they weren't in a relationship." Miranda clarified.

"Why didn't you say that?" Oriana said with slight annoyance.

"You asked how I knew of Ashley and I told you. If you wanted to know the specifics of Shepard's relationships you should ask him you're self."

Oriana smiled. "Aw that's so cute, you were going to introduce us."

Miranda returned the smile. "You two are the most important people in my life. Of course I wanted you to meet him."

Oriana smiled as she gave her sister a short hug. "Randa, that's so sweet of you. You're going to make me cry."

Miranda brushed the stubble forming on Shepard's face. "Would you mind getting me a cup of tea?" Miranda asked as she glanced over to Oriana. "Ashley spilt mine."

Oriana slowly got out of her chair. "No, I wanted to grab a cup of Coffee anyway. I had a long flight."

"Thank you." Miranda said as her sister left the room.

Lawson looked at Shepard's sleeping face as silence fell over the room.

He was calm, so peaceful and carefree. He was no longer burdened by the stress of war and the pain of loss. She never wanted that look to go away. Miranda kissed his forehead softly. She didn't know what kind of life her future held. All she knew is that she wanted to live a happy and quiet life with Shepard, far away from the politics and wars of the galaxy. She didn't want him to be the hero that was at the beck and call of anyone who needed him.

She wanted him to be hers, and hers alone... was that so wrong?

 **AN: I would like to apologize for any grammar issues that I may have made. Normally I re-read the entire story about three times before publishing. The last chapter took so long to be published that I really didn't feel like pushing myself through the grueling process of editing. To be honest the only thing that keeps me going is the amazing reviews I get. It's incredible how much motivation they give me. I have had days were I didn't feel like writing anything, but then I would get a review. One in particular that I remember was "** **Oh. WOW! Just incredible. Keep on posting.** **" It's hard to explain how much motivation that gave me. Such simple words pushed me to write an entire page in a day. So I would like to thank those that wrote a review and helped push me forward. And as always, feel free to review my work, critique my work, or PM me. Thanks for reading.**

 **Sincerely: Chosen Undead27.**


	6. A monument to all of our sins

**Normandy Crash Site...**

"Tali," Garrus called out as he paced the floor of the conference room. "What's the status of the engines?"

In order to successfully command the Normandy, Garrus had created four committees: Exploration, medical, engineering, and communications.

The exploration team was led by Vega. Their job was to venture out into the wilderness in search of food, water, and any materials that could help with repairs.

Doctor Chakwas was in charge of the medical committee, their job was to look after the crew of the Normandy and examine their environment for possible health concerns.

Engineering was led by Tali and Greg Adams. They were in charge of guiding the Normandy's repairs.

Lastly there was the Communications team. This committee was a small group led by Traynor. Their job was to try send out distress signals and contact anyone that could help.

"I've repaired what I could but we're missing some parts that are essential to finalizing many of the repairs." Tali replied as she leaned against the table. "If we had it we could leave."

"I think I can help with that." James spoke up from the back of the room. "We found an abandoned ship in the forest."

"What kind of ship is it?" Tali asked as she looked towards James.

"I don't know." Vega admitted. "It was larger than the Normandy."

"I will come with you." Tali sighed. "If the engine is the right model we will only need a small part. If it's not we will need to carry a very large part."

"A couple of people from the communications team could go with them." Traynor joined in. "We might be able to find something that could strengthen our signal."

Garrus nodded. "Sounds good," The Turian looked towards Chakwas. "Can you send a couple of your people with the away team?"

"Of course," Chakwas replied. "Most of them are just attending to the wounded. Our work load isn't as heavy as it used to be."

"Great, I will lead team." Garrus said as he stopped pacing the room. "The rest of you, get this ship ready for takeoff. Meeting adjourned."

 **Earth - Hospital...**

Miranda could hear the faint sounds of Oriana's footsteps in the hallway. Once her sister finally left the room Miranda could feel fatigue creeping up on her once again. She had tried to evade it for so long, but the relaxing grasp of sleep held on to her tightly. Miranda's head felt heavy and her body felt weakened. She slowly lowered her head onto Shepard's warm and muscular leg. She looked up at him with a light smile. Her muscles finally relaxed and her eyes closed.

 **Normandy Crash Site – Abandoned Ship...**

"Five," James yelled out from behind a nearby tree. "Four, three," He flicked the detonator's safety off. "Two, one." James stiffened his muscles as he pushed the detonator.

There was a loud explosion as the breaching charge ripped through the doors of the abandoned ship.

Tali sighed as the dust cleared. "I could have hacked the door open."

"Where would the fun in that be?" Garrus replied with a Turian smirk.

"Contact!" A crew member yelled as the dust around the door settled to reveal a skinny figure. Everyone on the away team pointed their guns towards the thing in the dusty haze.

"Hold your fire!" Garrus yelled.

The figure didn't move a muscle as its shroud of concealment dissipated. It stared at them, as if daring them to shoot.

As the dust receded into the ship the figure's rigid face revealed its blood red complexion. There was a large spike protruding out of the round and smooth crown of the figure's head. Its jaw hung open like a snake's, ready to swallow its prey whole.

"Is- is that a...?" One of the crew men tried to speak, but shock had taken a hold of him.

"A skeleton." James finished.

The blood stained bones hung from a spike that impaled the cadaver from the pelvis and penetrated through the skull. The remains were held together with slim metal pins and a sickly green paste. It looked like a child's rendition of a porcupine.

"We found some bones that have been tampered with." Garrus spoke in to his head seat as the team looked around. "I'm thinking possible hostiles."

"That sound's rather troubling." Dr. Chakwas replied over the headset. "We will set up defences over here just to be safe."

"Roger that." Garrus chuckled lightly. "It would be a shame it die after defeating the reapers."

"That's something we can both agree on, good luck."

"Thanks, we will keep you updated." Garrus pointed his gun down the hallway. "Eyes up, I don't want any more surprises."

The away team slowly moved forward into the darkness of the ship, the shadowy veil enveloped them as if it was hungry, starved for the essence of life.

The Normandy's away team turned on their flash lights as the darkness started to choke them.

James whistled. "Wow this is a large hallway." He said as he gave the hall a quick once-over. "Who do you think built this?"

"The design is similar to that of a human ship, but the size is all off." Tali replied.

"Do you think it's an Alliance ship?" Garrus asked as they delve deeper into the dark hallways of the unknown.

"No way," James quickly replied. "It doesn't have the Alliance colours, and a ship this size would be a major loss for the Alliance. It would have been reported. My money is on Cerberus."

"Why Cerberus," Garrus kept his eyes foreword as he questioned James' theory. "Why would they build a ship this big, and leave evidence of their presents here?"

"Garrus," One of the crew men beside the Turian tapped his shoulder. "We got another body." The crewman's light pushed back the prevailing darkness and uncovered the remains of another lost soul, consumed by the dark abyss of the forgotten ship.

 **Earth - Vancouver...**

The black sports bike slowed down as it approached a large abandoned house. The rider slipped his helmet off and hung it on the bars before he looked the house over.

Parts of the roof were caved in and the left side of the house was badly singed.

"Not bad." He said as he reached into his jacket to grab his package of joints. He slid one of the masterfully rolled papers out of the package and into his mouth. He then retrieved a lighter from his jean's pocket and lit the ganja. The taste of marijuana filled his mouth as he sucked in some of the smoke. He let the smoke cool in his mouth before he finally inhaled it, keeping the cannabis in his lungs for as long as possible before he finally exhaled. He stuck the joint back into his mouth and pushed the bike over to the garage. He placed his hand on the scanner beside the garage door, after a few seconds the doors slid open.

Thick layers of dust cover the inside of the house. No one ever entered this house, not after what happened here. This house was stained with death, so much so that many considered it a grave site, tainted in the blood and depravity of everyone that lived and died in these walls.

He popped the kick stand and carefully set the bike down. Reaching into his jacket he pulled out an envelope and slipped it into the helmet.

He left the garage and entered the house. It smelled barren and abandoned, devoided of life and even death. The man continued to walk through the large house and entered an office room that was on the top floor of the house. He walked over to the desk and pushed it a meter to the left. The biker knelt down on to the floor as he pulled a jack knife out of his pocket. He rammed the knife into the floor boards and pried them open to reveal a terminal. Quickly and carefully, he removed it from its hiding place and set it upon the desk. Removing a second envelope from his jacket and throwing it on to the table, he left the room with a sigh. So many words would be left unsaid; So many moments left unlived; So many promise would be left unkept. But that was his price to pay.

He walked back down the stairs and through the house. Stopping at the front door, he turned around and took a last look at the inside of the house. He was going to miss this place.

Opening the door with his hands held in the air, he was met with the bright lights and red lasers of rifles.

"Agent Lucifer, you know that you're not allowed to go off the grid." A man in black clothing said to the biker as he leaned against the car.

"Fuck that, the parties that are on the grid suck ass." The biker smiled. "Can I put my hands down now, Johnson?"

"Lower your guns." Johnson shouted before he walked over to Lucifer.

"That's better." Lucifer said before he inhaled and then exhaled the euphoric cannabis. The smoke drifted in the wind.

"You know what? Being your handler is a pain in the ass." Johnson said as he fanned the smoke out of his face.

"And being a part of Death's Hand is a pain the ass." Lucifer took a hit from his joint once again. "Oh and for your information, you're all trespassing on my property."

Johnson rolled his eyes "Are you done acting like a rebellious teenager."

Lucifer flicked his joint into Johnson's face. "Now I'm done." He walked down the front step with a smile on his face and hopped into one of the unmarked shuttles. He took one last look at his house, for he would likely never see it again.

 **Normandy Crash Site – Abandoned Ship...**

Garrus knelt down beside the body. The remains were a sickly pale grey and covered in black clothing; exposed bones decorated the corpse like garland on a charismas tree. "Someone from medical take a look at this body." Garrus said as he looked at the mess of flesh and bone.

One of the crew members knelt beside Garrus. "What's this?" The Turian inquired as he saw a light glow behind one of the panels in the wall. Grabbing on to the small edges of the panel he pulled it from the wall.

James was flabbergasted as he watched the Turian pick up the object that was hidden in the wall. "A data pad?"

"It has an audio file on it." Garrus mumbled as he looked down at the data pad, anxious as to what secrets could be hidden on this device. The Turian clicked play on the audio file.

Loud noises of fumbling could be heard as the Data pad was place in the panel. "Fuck." The man on the audio file groaned as he supposedly sat down. "I sealed the doors as best as I could," There was another painful groan. "But one of those bastards broke my arm so I couldn't seal the blast doors." The man coughs loudly. "I think one of my ribs punctured my lung, I don't have much time." More coughing could be heard. "What we did here, it... it can't be repeated." The man could be heard coughing again, wheezing for breath as he struggled for air. "Fuck... to anyone who hacked their way into this ship, turn around and lock this place up and never come back. If you were stupid enough to blast open the doors... run and leave this planet as fast as you can." The man coughed again, his breathing grew heavy. "We have done the devils work. Our goal was took make the deadliest killing machines know to the galaxy." He laughed before breaking out in a coughing fit. "We sure succeeded on that one. Those fucking animals out-smarted us on our own ship. We broke the laws, took the evolution of life into our own hands." Loud rumbling could be heard in the back ground. "We are all going to die in here, sealed up in this ship like a tomb. This ship was made for this fucking project... but now, it's nothing more than a monument to all of our sins." There was a loud horrendous and primal noise that sounded like a knife scraping against a glass bottle. The man screamed loudly before the Audio file ended abruptly.

"Keelah." Tali whispered as she stared at the corpse of the man.

"What did you find out?" Garrus asked the medic examining the corpse.

"There aren't enough remains to confirm a cause of death." The medic sighed. "But what I can tell is that his eyes were removed while he was alive." The medic pointed to large scratches around the eye socket of the skull. "The cuts seem to show a struggle." He pointed to the dried blood on the man's clothing. "It looks like his throat was slit, which is the mostly likely cause of death."

"Chakwas, we found a heavily decayed body." Garrus said into the headset. "There was an audio file that suggested that something feral attacked the crew of the ship."

"You don't know what you are dealing with." Chakwas replied. "They could be using that ship as shelter or they could have left the area long ago, don't let your guard down."

"Roger that."

"What are we going to do?" James asked as he kept his gun pointed down the hallway, his muscles tense.

"The only thing we can do, get that part and leave." Garrus's words traveled down the hallway, swallowed by the abyss.

 **Earth - Hospital...**

Oriana carried a small bag of muffins and two cups as she walked down the hospital's hallways. Being with her sister again inspired new confidence in her, she felt her thoughts of death and destruction being lifted when she was with her. Miranda was so strong and confident. She seemed to fill Oriana with her own sense of strength and resolve.

Oriana waved her hand in front of the door to Shepard's room, the light turned green and she walked in.

"Hey."

"Hello..." Oriana froze suddenly. The voice that greeted her to the room was far too deep to be her sister. "Shepard?" Oriana said with a smile as she looked towards the Commander's bed. "You woke up."

"Yeah I did, just a minute ago I think." His voice was abnormally soft and quiet.

Looking down at Shepard's leg Oriana saw her sister sleeping peacefully, the commander's hand stroked her hair gently.

"She actually fell asleep." Oriana said with a smile. "When did that happen?"

"She was like this when I woke up." He frowned lightly as he looked down at the woman with a caring gaze. "Was she not sleeping?"

"Yes, she really wanted to make sure you were okay first." Oriana placed Miranda's tea on a nearby table. "She showered at least." She said with a light chuckle to herself, she quietly sat down in her seat.

Shepard stroked Miranda's cheek with the back of his two fingers, she purred quietly in her sleep.

"Is she waking up?" Oriana asked in a concern tone.

John smiled. "No, she makes those noises all the time."

"By the goddess that's so cute." Oriana said with a large smile.

"I know she is."

 **Earth – Undisclosed location...**

The unmarked shuttle shook as it fought the turbulence. The night sky was relaxing to Lucifer. It was the sign of money being passed around, swapping hands like the common cold, true capitalism at work. It was the time when real business was done by all. The Earlier hours of the day were just a facade, the time where money was hidden and laundered.

"You can't continue doing this." Johnson pulled Lucifer's gaze away from the window.

"Security is shit, I'm sure I can."

"That's not what I meant." Johnson sighed. "You're going to get yourself in a lot of trouble."

"What were the one hundred bank robberies and the eight hundred and fifty seven counts of murder not enough?" Lucifer laughed. "I'm already a criminal being extorted by Black Watch, I don't think it can get much worse."

"You have a good thing..."

"Yeah, being part of a black ops team is amazing." Lucifer quickly interrupted.

"You could be dead right now with the things you did. They could have sentenced you to death." Johnsons reminded the black ops solder.

"I'm a bank robber, not a terrorist." Lucifer argued. "Besides I was robbing the rich, they are the real criminals."

"You were charged with terrorism and you were losing the trial."

"That was kangaroo court!" Lucifer was obviously annoyed. "They argued that I was trying to start a communist revolution. I spent all of the money on hookers and alcohol; you think I give a fuck about the government." He chuckled lightly. "I'm not one of those people that believe in good government, it's all bullshit. Chaos... anarchy is the only fair thing, the only true system that allows for freedom."

"That is why you're here, this way you can be an agent of chaos, so long as you're our agent of chaos." Johnson reminded sternly.

Lucifer laughed manically. "That's the funny thing about chaos, you military types think you can control it."

 **Deep Space...**

The wound on his leg bled profusely as he hobbled to his desk, the sounds of death and revenge assaulted his ears as gun shots and the last few gurgles of men and women filled the ship.

"Fuck, fuck, fucking fuck..." The man cursed as the sounds grew louder and louder.

The man sat down on his chair and removed his lab coat, using a pair of scissors he fashioned a tourniquet for his leg. He quickly tightened the tourniquet as fast as possible. The sounds of murder finally reached his door step.

He turned on his terminal and started to make a distress call. "This is Doctor Kruger of the SSV Mariana. Two of the subjects have escaped and are taking control of the ship. It's a fucking slaughter in here..." He quickly sent the message out as the sounds death started to die down. The Doctor reached into his drawer and grabbed a pistol. He watched as the light on the door turned red. The invisible hands of fear squished his lungs, forcing him to breath in desperate shallow breaths.

There was three knocks on the door. "Kruger," A man from the other side of the door called out hauntingly. "Let me in and I won't hurt you."

The gun trembled in the Doctors hands; He knew that death was coming on swift wings of vengeance.

"Kruger!" The man shouted, slamming his fist into the door. The door bent to his will forming a large crater were his fist impacted the metal. "Kruger!"

The doctor nearly dropped his gun at the sound of the impact. He quickly ducked behind his desk, unable to manage his fear.

The lights began to flicker.

"Shit, no, fuck..." The doctor swore as he curled up into a ball. "I don't want to die... I don't want to die." He chanted to himself, as if repeating it would save him.

There was a loud noise as the door to Kruger's office was melted into plasma. "Kruger?" The man called out, his voice filling the room like water to a cup. "Where are you?"

The doctor stood up and pointed the gun at the intruder; he fired all of his shots into the man's chest. The bullets tore through the man's skin, staining the walls and floors with his blood. But the intruder did not falter, instead he stared at the doctor, the undone buckles on his straight jacket swinging as the bullets shook his body. The man's shotgun stayed by his side.

"Subject five stop, you don't need to do this." Kruger pleaded in a last ditch effort to save his skin.

Subject five raised his free hand and shot a stream of energy that melted the doctor's gun barrel, rendering it useless.

"Stop..." Subject five said with a chuckle. "I didn't think you knew the definition of that word." He raised his shotgun and pointed it towards Kruger. "I need a list of everyone that was involved with this facility." Five's voice was filled with lust for vengeance. The small holes in his body started to disappear as the flesh and muscles grew back together.

"I-I can't do that, they will kill me." Kruger stuttered as he slowly backed away from subject five.

Five pointed his shotgun towards Kruger's knee and squeezed the trigger.

The doctor cried out in pain as he fell to the floor. His femur, tibia, and fibula were shatter like delicate glass plates. The tendons and ligaments of his knee were completely obliterated. Blood started to pool around him.

Subject five leapt over the table and seized the doctor's neck, lifting him off of the floor and pinning him to the wall. "I will do much worse than kill you." The barrel of his shotgun pressed upon the doctor's crotch. "So give me the names and I will let you live."

The doctor nodded quickly. "Yeah, okay." Hi voice was full of fear and agony. "J-just let me put them on a data pad."

Subject five threw the doctor to the ground and watched as Kruger crawled to the terminal with tears streaming down his face.

Five pressed the barrel of the shotgun onto the back of Kruger's neck. "Tick-tock tick-tock doctor, your time is running out..." The man whispered as the cold steel chill the doctor to the very marrow in his bones.

Kruger typed quickly as his hands shook. He nervously looked over his shoulder to see subject five staring off into the distance, as if debating with himself.

"Do you have access to all of the experiment files?" Five's eyes snapped back onto the doctor as his voice faltered, breaking out of his commanding tone and into one of questioning.

"Yes of course." The doctor replied swiftly. "Why do you ask?"

Subject five placed his shotgun onto the doctor's other knee. "I make the demands and ask the question, got that?"

Kruger nodded frantically. "Yes I understand, don't shoot."

Five pointed his shotgun to the wall and pulled the trigger, the doctor jumped in his chair. Five then pressed the searing hot barrel to Kruger's temple. The doctor screamed in pain as the barrel brunt a circle into the side of his head.

"What did you say? " Five asked with a menacing grin and sadistic laugh. "Give me all of the files you have on Subject twenty five and I. Then delete everything."

"I-I forget who that is, the woman that was in the cell across yours correct?" Kruger quickly put the files that Five demanded onto the data pad and handed to him. Kruger corrupted all of the files on the main data base as he secretly uploaded as much as possible to the backup servers.

Subject five placed his shotgun barrel onto Kruger's forehead as he grabbed that data pad. "Stop trying to piece it all together, you not going to live that long." He quickly checked all of the files.

"I thought we had a deal." Kruger's eyes pleaded to whatever amount of humanity was left inside of him. "You said you would let me live."

"I lied..." Five pulled the trigger, decorating the wall with blood and bits of skull and brain matter. He then turned the shotgun towards the terminal and shot it apart, stopping the upload. "Goodbye Kruger." Five said as he left the room.

 **AN: I decided to use this chapter to introduce possible plot lines. I'm not sure how people feel about authors creating characters and situations that aren't in the original work. It would be great if some of you would leave a review and tell me what you think of the characters and plot lines I created in this chapter. I have also been thinking about asking someone to be an editor for me. I find that I miss a lot of things when I read my own work, thus it would be a great idea if I had some one read it over after I have written and edited the work myself. If you are interested in editing for me please PM me. As always please leave a review and tell me what you think about my work.**

 **Sincerely: Chosen Undead27**


	7. The Porcelain Girl

**Earth – Hospital...**

Oriana giggled into her elbow. "So you and this Joker, got drunk together and decided to bring a varren onto the Normandy?"

"We were docked at Tuchanka," Shepard started to explain with a large grin on his face. "We just finished helping a Krogan squad mate with a few issues and we decided to celebrate."

"While we were in the Krogan camp I came across this varren named Urz. I overheard that his owner died and I felt bad for the little guy, so I fed him some meat that I bought from a merchant." His smile widened. "He started following me around and begging for my attention when I visited the camp."

"So you let him on the ship because he was cute?" Oriana cocked an eyebrow in a similar fashion as her older sister.

"no," Shepard stared at the roof and sighed with a smile on his face, unable to believe his own reasoning. "Joker and I were so drunk that I managed to convince him that Urz would make an amazing squad mate."

Oriana giggled into her hand. "Did my sister know about this?"

"We sobered up enough to realize that it would be a horrible decision and we got him out of there." Shepard smirked as he looked down at Miranda. "She wasn't very fond of Urz; she patted his head if he wanted her to. But she would've killed Joker and I if she found out what happened."

"Did my sister scare the great commander Shepard?" Ori asked with a smile.

"No, Miranda and I openly disagree with each other all of the time." Shepard laughed lightly as he thought of the pilot. "Joker on the other hand was terrified of her, he begged me to get Urz off the ship."

Oriana laughed. "Really, I know she can be intimidating, but terrifying?"

Shepard could feel Miranda's head shifting on his lap. "She used to scare some of the crew members too."

"Ori," A weak, raspy and confused voice called out from the commander's lap. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Oriana smiled as she kept her older sister in the dark. "Why do you ask?"

Miranda sat up in her chair. "I heard talking, I thought you needed something." She wiped the sleep from her eyes. "Why didn't you wake me up?"

Oriana's smile widened. "He told me not to."

Miranda hesitated before she looked towards Shepard. "J-John..." She stuttered as she looked at his smiling face. Miranda quickly launched herself out of her chair and hugged her lover tightly, her lips kissing his neck and face.

Shepard winced as his body ached. "Careful." He said with a light chuckle.

Miranda lightened her grip. "You scared me." She whispered softly as she kissed his jaw.

Shepard caressed the side of Miranda's face. She leaned into his touch. "Sorry," He smiled lightly. "I will try not to nearly die as often."

"Good," she said before kissing his lips deeply. She moved her mouth to his ear. "Because you still have a lot of things you need to do to me." She whispered seductively.

Oriana cleared her throat. "I will give you guys the room."

Miranda looked back at her sister and thanked her before turning her attention back to John.

Oriana got up to leave when there was a knock at the door. "I got it."

"Hello Oriana." The woman on the other side of the door said with a smile. "Is your sister still awake? I need to talk to her."

"It's great to see you again doctor." Oriana stepped to the side, letting Doctor Michel into the room. "She was sleeping for a little while, but she is awake now."

"That's good to hear, I was worried that I would have to slip a sedative in her tea."

Miranda rolled her eyes at the doctor's horrible joke... or at least she hoped it was a joke.

The doctor started to walk into the room. "Hello Miss..." Her words stopped as she saw the commander. "Shepard, you're awake. How do you feel?"

"Great, a little sore and stiff, but other than that I feel fine."

"That's good to hear." Michel's attention was turned back to Miranda. "Lawson, I wanted to inform you that Williams was escorted... well, carried out of the building and cannot return until you are gone."

Miranda nodded at the doctor. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." The doctor smiled at Miranda and Shepard. "I will leave you three alone for now." She said before she left the room, the door closed behind her.

Shepard gave Miranda an inquisitive look. "Why was Ashley removed from the building?"

Oriana slowly backed out of the room, not wanting anything to do with what was about to happen.

"Maybe you should ask her," Miranda rolled her eyes. "Considering that you persist on being friends with her."

Shepard raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Miranda," He reached out to brush the back of his fingers on her skin. "What's wrong?"

She caught his hand and pushed it away gently. "You trying to be her friend, she is destructive, manipulative, and obsessed with you."

John sighed. "I didn't let her back on the ship, so we probably aren't on the best of terms."

Miranda rolled her eyes. "You likely made up some excuse for it, like she is a leader and needs to use her talents elsewhere."

He scratched the back of his head nervously. "What did she do?"

"She assaulted me."

Shepard's eyes were consumed with rage. He thought it was just going to be about an argument, he would never have guessed that Ashley would actually attack Miranda. Ash had called him a traitor, questioned his humanity and pointed a gun at him. But when she attacked the woman he loved, she crossed the line. He kept trying to rebuild their friendship, but all Williams wanted to do was tear it to shreds.

John winced as he tried to sit up, his eyes examining Lawson for any sign of injury. "Did she hit you, are you hurt?"

Miranda felt a pang of sadness as she watched her lover struggle. None of this was his fault. She moved her chair closer to him and grabbed his hand. "She fractured my zygomatic." She said softly as she lightly pressed his hand to her damaged cheek, showing him where her face was swelled. "I had someone take care of it, I'm fine now." She pulled his hand to her lips and kissed it. "I don't want you around her. She is determined to rip us apart."

With his free hand, John pulled Miranda closer to him. He kissed the top of her head. "She won't." Anger burned in his veins, he was done trying to patch things up with Ashley.

 **Earth – Refugee Camp...**

Name: _Volkov Dasha_

Age: 28

Place of birth: Russia, Moscow

Next of kin: None

Spouse: _Volkov Artyom_ (K.I.A.)

Status in the Alliance: M.I.A. (presumed dead)

All of the words on the data pad seemed meaningless and unrelated to her. Subject twenty five scrolled further down the document, reading about her accomplishments as a sniper for the Alliance and her adduction by Black Watch. She still felt nothing, not even a small spark of pride or anger. She continued reading about all of the torture and unethical psychological and psychical experimentation that they put her through. The words still failed to cause any emotion to arise in her. Even as she read about the gruesome death of her husband at the hands of Cerberus, she still felt the same.

It was strange. Reading about all of the things that had happened to her, caused her to feel nothing. Yet, there was still a ravenous need for vengeance against all of those in Black Watch.

The only thing that caused her to feel was killing and... the man that sat across from her. She held feelings for him when most things caused her to feel nothing. She tried to think of what could have created these intense emotions of attachment and vengeance, yet she could not find anything. Her memories of the Black Watch facility and her life before were a blurry mess. The psychological torture and training that they put her through was supposed to wipe her mind of all emotion. Yet she still felt something for him, a man she knew almost nothing about.

Name: Mercer Andrew

Age: 30

Place of birth: United States of America, Chicago

Next of Kin: None

Spouse: None

Status in the Alliance: K.I.A

Five felt nothing as he read through his own file. His former self grew up practicing boxing and Karate, becoming a hand to hand professional by the age of twenty. His family was killed in the Akuze Massacre which pushed the young twenty one year old to join the Alliance. He excelled in the army, a professional in close quarter and stealth operations. He was also taken by Black Watch, and felt the same as the woman who sat across him. His memories were also just like hers, a blur that failed to stir any sense of emotion. The only things that made him feel was the blood of his enemies and... Her, he looked up from his data pad and gazed into twenty five's eyes. His heart raced and his veins flooded with adrenaline as if he was in combat. It made him uncomfortable. He was ready to strike, to kill, to pounce upon an enemy and rip them apart limb from limb. Yet... he was safe within the walls of their tent.

"We should look at each other's files." Twenty five said as she looked down at the floor, unable to maintain eye contact. "It would be good for us to learn each other's talents and abilities."

Five closed his eyes and rubbed one of his temples lightly. "Agreed, it would prove useful when planning our attack."

Twenty five got out of her chair, her slender body silently walking over to five. She sat down beside him and swapped data pads.

 **Normandy crash site – Abandoned ship...**

Dust lied in thick layers upon everything. Dim emergency lights lit the command center of the abandoned ship.

Garrus was watching Tali fiddle with a terminal while James and the rest of the team were exploring the nearby area.

"Can you get it back online?" Garrus asked

"The wires are completely shredded." Tali said as she got off of the floor. "Whoever did this did not want anyone to fix this terminal."

"Shit." Garrus mumbled. "Do you have any idea where the engine would be?"

Tali shrugged. "Human's are notorious for putting the engine on the lower floors, we could try there."

Garrus nodded. "I guess it's the best shot we have."

One of the crew members ran into the room, catching the attention of the Quarian and the Turian. He tore off his helmet and threw it to the side before vomiting. Bits and pieces of undigested food floated in the sickly pale yellow paste.

"Garrus..." James called out. "You should come see this."

Tali and Garrus stared at the pale faced soldier before they quickly jogged over to James' voice.

 **Normandy crash site – Normandy – Crew's quarters...**

Joker hobbled drunkenly toward the cafeteria, a bottle of bourbon clutched tightly in his grasp.

Stumbling over to the counter, the drunken pilot rummaged through the cupboards and fridge. "Hells yeah!" The pilot hollered as he found the bread, peanut butter and jelly.

"What is going on in here?" A voice asked sternly causing joker to jump and nearly drop the peanut butter.

"Holy shit Liara," Joker took a deep breath to calm himself. "We need to get you a bell."

"Is this what you have been doing the whole time we have been here," Liara was obviously frustrated. "While I have been working endlessly, trying to re-establish my connections, you have been what... getting drunk and making sandwiches?"

Joker applied a thick sloppy layer of Peanut butter onto one slice of bread. "I like to call it edible modern art, thank you very much." His words were slurred and more cynical than ever before.

Liara sighed, she was tired and cranky. She had to let this go. "Drinking is not going to fix what happened to EDI, please talk to someone." She walked over to the fridge and grabbed two bottles of water. "Here," She handed him one of the bottles. "At least try to rehydrate." She said with a light smile.

Joker grabbed the water and placed it down beside his half made sandwich. "Yeah, thanks."

"My door is always open." Liara said as she started heading back to her room. "Please try to keep it down in here."

The pilot slathered the other slice of bread in jelly. "Yeah, yeah, whatever." He mumbled to himself.

Joker pressed to two slices of bread together as Liara's doors closed. He took a bite and slowly chewed the sandwich, letting the taste fill his mouth. It was missing something. The pilot grabbed the bottle of bourbon and dripped some of the liquor onto the edible modern art. He took another bite and smiled lightly. "Perfect."

 **Normandy crash site – Abandoned ship...**

The room was filled with the scent of rotted blood and death. Dried blood stained the walls and the skeletons that lied in a pile upon the floor with a dark red colour. Upon closer inspection of the bones, one could see deep cuts and puncture wounds; some of the bones were snapped in half.

He wouldn't go back there, not again. Garrus and Tali had ran over to see that vile scene that James found, but he wouldn't go back. The scent and taste of puke pervaded his mouth like a shot of hard liquor. A light humming started to fill the room as the lone crew member finally felt the presents of his solitude.

Then he heard it, a faint laugh or maybe a cry for help. It was not the cry of a man or woman, but that of a child. The man raised his gun and shone his light down the hallway.

"Anyone there?"

The darkness consumed his light and voice, another small scream was projected out of the dark abyss. He slowly started to follow the sound of the cries. "Hello?" He called out as he reached the door that contained the screams of the little child.

He waved his hand to open the door but it could only open a quarter of the way before jamming. "Hold on, I'm coming!" He yelled as he grabbed the door and forced it open, the door screeched painfully.

Once he got the door opened he stared at the child in confusion. "What... the fuck?"

In another room, far away from the vomiting Soldier, Garrus knelt down beside the medic. "Can you tell what happened to them?" He asked as he gazed out at the piles of bones and splatters of rotted blood.

"All I know is that they were eaten, whatever did this is incredibly strong."

The medic placed the snapped bone back onto the floor. "This is a mess."

"I already called Chakwas." James said as he leaned against the nearby door way. "This looks like a feeding ground." He muttered as he lost himself in the gory room.

There was a loud scream of mortal terror that quickly devolved into gurgles of painful desperation.

"Form up!" Garrus shouted as he ran towards the scream, his team following closely behind.

Garrus froze as he reached a door that was forced open, his team close behind. All of their eyes were fixated on the scene upon them, lost in a river of blood and death.

 **Earth – Hospital...**

Miranda pressed herself into Shepard's side as her neck rested on his arm. Shepard pulled her closer with one hand on the small of her back, and the other caressing her arm as she hugged him tightly.

"Do you know if Cerberus gave the Alliance any information on me?" Miranda whispered into Shepard's ear.

"I don't know."Shepard whispered as he kissed her temple. "They normally keep me in the dark with stuff like that. Why, is something wrong?"

"No." Miranda said quickly. "Ashley just said some stuff to me that I was unaware she knew."

"Don't worry about her." Shepard said as he kissed her hand, comforting her as best as he could.

He knew that she was in a new position. The femme fatal was use to being the unknown, the puppeteer in the shadows with invisible strings. But she was no longer in the shadows, no longer in control. She was now an actress upon the stage, her actions and words were seen by all who were watching.

"Why should I not," Miranda huffed "She physically assaulted me and she is obsessed with you."

Shepard stroked her hip softly. "I promise I will handle it, she crossed the line." His hold on the woman in his arms tightened.

She used to hate how safe, warm, and blissful she felt in his arms, but she didn't care anymore. She savoured every moment like this one, indulging in all of the feelings that he gave her. Willfully deaf to the pragmatic voice that screamed at her, cursing her for thinking one man could keep her safe.

Miranda kissed Shepard's jaw as she snuggled closer to him. "John," she whispered softly into his ear. "I love you."

He stroked her jaw encouraging her to look into his eyes. "I love you too." He kissed her deeply and held her close, scared of ever letting her go.

 **Normandy crash site – Abandoned ship...**

Blood dripped from the walls and ceiling, pieces of flesh clung to almost everything. The crew member who had been seen vomiting only moments before was on the floor, gutted like an animal. His intestines hung out of his body, the rest of his organs were too shredded to recognize. Bits and pieces of brain matter floated in the red pond that was forming on the floor. His eye balls were a soupy like liquid, lost within the mixture of blood and shredded flesh and organs.

The medic gazed into the room. "What is that?" He asked as carefully started to cross the room, his boot losing grip as he walked across the bloody paste of his comrade. Most of the crew looked at him in horror and shock as he pulled a small doll and a data pad out of the bloody mess. The doll's white porcelain face was stained with blood; bits of flesh were clumped and stuck in its blood soaked hair. The screen showed an audio file that was ready to play on loop. The medic stared at his squad mates as he pressed the play button. The speakers started to play the sound of a little girl laughing.

Garrus mandibles twitched in an uneasy manner. "For now on, everyone sticks together. That's an order."


	8. The Freezer

**Normandy crash site – Abandoned ship...**

The away team said some words and gave a moment of silence before radioing into Chakwas. She inevitably told them to abandon the mission, that there could be another way. But Tali shook her head, they needed this part. They all knew what they were signing up for, everyone knew that they were dealing with the unknown and dancing with death.

They marched to the elevator with an uneasy feeling, they could feel death's cold and critical gaze upon them, watching every step, waiting for one slip up so he could end the dance of survival.

The elevator was ominously spacious, as if it was emphasising how big the inhabitants that stalked these hallways were. There were six buttons on the side of the elevator and an old fashion card scanner. Tali pressed the button for the bottom floor. The elevator's lights flashed red and a short sound of denial was played.

"Please present proper identification or select another floor." An automotive voice spoke through the elevators speakers.

"Figure's," Garrus grumbled as he stood behind Tali. "James, did you manage to search all of the rooms."

"No," James replied. "We might be able to find a key card and get the hell off of this planet."

Garrus nodded. "Exactly what I was thinking."

 **Earth – Hospital...**

Shepard slowly woke up to the warmth of sunlight on his skin and the light pressure of Miranda sleeping on his chest. He brushed her hair out of her face, she purred quietly. He loved this woman more than anything in the galaxy. He kissed her forehead softly as he felt her stir.

"Hey." Miranda mumbled as she looked up at Shepard. Her eyes fluttered open as she tried to wake up.

"Hi." He replied with a smile on his face. He cupped the side of her face and kissed her deeply. She moaned lightly as her hands stroked his chest. His hand slid down her body and onto her ass, she moaned a little louder as he squeezed her rump.

"John," Miranda said breathlessly as she pulled away. "We have to stop."

"Your sister is in the shower, she won't care that we are kissing."

"I know that," Miranda sighed. "But I can't have you injuring yourself."

Shepard smiled devilishly. "Is someone getting hot and bothered?"

Miranda giggled lightly as she snuggled into Shepard's side. "If you weren't so busy playing space hero I wouldn't be having this issue."

Shepard chuckled lightly as he kissed the top of her head. "I should have told Cerberus and the Reapers that I needed to take some personal days."

"I imagine that wouldn't work out well." Miranda said as she caressed Shepard's chest.

The door to the nearby washroom opened and Oriana stepped into the room wrapped in a towel, her hair damp from the shower.

Miranda slipped into her shirt that was lying on the end table and sat up. "Did you bring anything that I could borrow?"

"Of course, I didn't know how long we would be here so I packed a lot."

Miranda slowly slid out of the bed wearing only her panties and shirt. Shepard bit his lip lightly as he watched her slide out of the bed and walk over to her sister. Miranda bent over seductively as she went to look through Oriana's bag.

Shepard could tell that she caught him staring but he couldn't look away.

Miranda carefully searched through the bag until she picked out an outfit that consisted of brown high heeled boots, a grey sweater, and tight blue jeans. She collected her things and started walking towards the shower, giving John a flirty wink as she passed his bed.

 **Normandy – Abandoned ship...**

The door slid open with a painful screech, allowing the team access to the forgotten room. The floor had a large trail of blood that told the tale of a bloody body being dragged out of the room, lines in the stains of blood showed that the victim tried to cling to the ground in desperation. The shades of dried blood told a story of suffering as the victim was dragged into a world of nightmares.

"Search the room in pairs." Garrus commanded.

The room was fairly spacious and probably served as a break room for the workers of the CIC. The air smelled of spilt coffee and blood, however it was far less invasive then the other odors that they have encountered.

They searched the room; each pair yelling clear once they made sure their section was safe. Garrus strolled the area while the majority of the team looked for anything useful in the other rooms.

"We got a sealed door here." One of the pairs yelled.

Garrus and the rest of his team followed the voice over to a door. In the middle of what appeared to be a kitchen was a giant metallic freezer door. A frozen corpse with a blinking light could be seen within the small window of the door.

"Are you sure that this is safe to open." One of the crew men asked hesitantly.

James gazed into the frozen hell behind the metal door. "Whatever is in there is dead now."

The medic nodded. "There is no way that anything from this planet could survive that climate."

"Find something to pry it open with."Garrus ordered.

Clattering fill the room as the away team looked for a sturdy object to pry the door open with.

"Do you think Shepard is alive?" Tali asked as she stared at the frozen corpse through the window.

"Nothing can touch Shepard, he is alive. He has to be." Garrus answered without thinking.

The Turian's hand found Tali's and gave her a quick reassuring squeeze.

"Hey," James said as he approached the pair. "I think this should work." He was holding a metal table leg he managed to unscrew from its table.

Garrus stretched his hand out. "Let me see it."

James handed him the table leg. The Turian tried bending it and smacked it against the palm of his hand. "This will do."

Garrus rammed the table leg into the door and tried to pry it open. "James, give me a hand."

The human and the Turian pulled with all their force, both men grunted until the door flew open and the table leg snapped in half causing Garrus and James to fall backwards.

"Are you alright?" Tali asked as she helped Garrus off of the floor.

"I'm fine," Garrus extended his hand towards James. "What about you James, are you alight?"

James grabbed the Turian's hand. "Yeah, I'm just fine." James brushed the dust off of himself and propped the door open with the remaining table leg.

Garrus slowly entered the freezer with his gun drawn and with James by his side. They slowly lowered their weapons once they were sure that the freezer was clear of hostiles.

The cold air bite at any exposed skin. Dead animal carcasses hung from the ceiling, their cold lifeless flesh swung in the cold air. The faint sound of metal chains links grinding against one another added a feeling of uneasiness that softly kissed the darkest and most harrowing places in their brains.

Garrus slowly walked towards the frozen body, his breath visible in the cool air. He knelt down beside the body, inspecting its frozen visage and form.

"Tali," Garrus said as he saw the blinking light of the frozen man's wrist. "Can you hack into his omni tool?"

"I can try." Tali responded as she knelt down beside the corpse.

Everyone watched in silence as the Quarian fiddled with her omni tool. The sound of the chains swaying in the cool breeze was the only thing that dared to break the silence.

"I got something." Tali said as she started to project a video on the wall. "He tried to send a message before he died." The projection on the wall started playing the video message.

The man shook violently as he tried to record himself.

"Hey Beth."

His voice was shaky, full of regret and broken down by the cold.

"I... uh, fuck. I'm not going to make it. "

The man raked his hand through his frost covered hair and sighed heavily, his breath creating a cloud.

"I thought we were doing something good here, I trusted the captain and all of the doctors. I never knew what they were really doing, I was just told that it was classified and that it was for the betterment of humanity."

Tears rolled down his cheeks, slowly freezing to his skin.

"You know how excited I was when I got this job offer. A chance to explore the universe and help all of humanity, how could I say no to that? I only wish we knew about your pregnancy sooner, maybe then I wouldn't have tried to be a hero."

His teeth clattered as the freezing air made his skin feel like it was on fire. More tears dripped out of his eyes, freezing to his skin and eye lashes.

"I wanted to turn back around as soon as I heard but it was too late. I thought we were doing something great here. I should have asked more questions when things didn't add up. I'm sorry I couldn't be there... I love you."

The video ended with a note saying "message failed". His words forever unheard by loved one.

Garrus bent down beside the body and searched him, careful not to damage anything.

"Sounds like not everyone knew exactly what they were doing here, only that it was for the betterment of humanity." James thought out loud. "Sounds like Cerberus to me."

"It wasn't Cerberus." Garrus said as scraped the frost off of the dead man's clothing, revealing an emblem with a hawk clutching a star, the words _Black Watch_ written around the circular emblem.

"Black Watch?" Tali read the emblem out loud. "I have never heard of them."

"It could be a dummy corporation." James reminded.

Garrus grabbed the security card out of the frozen man's pocket. "It wouldn't be the first time that Cerberus did something like this." He tucked the card into his pocket and stood up. "Let's head out."

 **Earth – Hospital...**

Miranda smiled as she watched Oriana and Shepard get to know one another. She was relieved and beyond happy that the two most important people in her life were getting along very well.

"We should probably pick up some breakfast soon." Oriana said as she got up from her chair and stretched her limbs.

Miranda nodded. "Alright, I'm getting quite hungry." She kissed the top of Shepard's head as she stood up. "Do you want anything?" She asked

"Yeah, food sounds fantastic." Shepard said before he pulled Miranda in for a quick kiss.

"We will be back soon." Miranda said as she broke away from the kiss and followed her sister out of the room.

"He's quite the catch." Oriana said to her sister as the door slid shut behind them.

Miranda smiled lightly. "Yeah, he is a great guy."

"Do you two have any plans?"

"What do you mean?"

"What do the two of you plan on doing after things are rebuilt and everything goes back to normal?" Oriana elaborated. "Is Shepard staying in the military?"

Miranda ran a hand through her hair. "I don't know. We haven't discussed that yet. I know that I want him to leave the Alliance, but I do not want to force him into doing so."

"I know how that feels." Oriana said sympathetically. "I hate it when you put yourself in harm's way."

Miranda sighed softly. "It's not just that. They do not value him; they use him and throw him under the bus whenever they need a scapegoat." Her jaw tensed slightly as anger washed over her. "The Alliance never listens to him yet they expect him to clean up all of their messes."

Oriana nodded slowly as she thought to herself silently.

"I know that his respect for the Alliance is tarnished but he would still die for them." Miranda calmed down slightly as she took a deep breath.

"Well has he ever indicated what kind of life he wants after all of this?" Oriana asked after some thought.

"We both agreed that our lives would change and we would stop running after the war was over." Miranda sighed softly. "But I'm not sure what he meant by that. People say and do a lot of crazy things before they head off into a suicide mission."

"It's just like Poe said. 'I was never really insane except upon occasions when my heart was touched.'" Oriana quoted with a smile.

Miranda grinned lightly. "So you did read it."

Oriana nodded. "What can I say, that depressive book written by a neurotic man caught my attention."

"Poe will do that."

Oriana held out her arm and stopped her sister from walking further. "What I'm trying to say is that if he truly already accepted death than he wouldn't have been scared of going on a suicide mission, you gave him something to lose, you gave him a reason to live." The younger sister explained.

Miranda pulled her sister into a hug. "Thanks Ori."

"Don't worry about it Randa." Oriana hugged her sister back. "Just talk to him."

"I will."

Miranda was so happy that she could confide in her sister. During their time together they quickly grew close, forming a strong bond between sisters. She owed it all to Shepard. He melted the ice walls around her heart and helped her let others in. She was going to leave Illium without talking to her sister, forever maintaining the role of the faceless saviour, protecting her sister from the shadow as she yearned to unveil herself. She was nervous and hesitant about removing herself from the shadows and into the light, but John gave her the small push, the confidence to meet her sister after so many years. The pursuit of knowledge and Justice use to be her only companion in life, but now she had so much more.

"Didn't you want to talk to me about something?" Miranda asked as they backed away from each other.

"Yeah..." Concern replaced the warm smile that was held on her face. "I haven't been able to reach my parents."

Miranda stroked Oriana's shoulder. "That is not a bad thing; many structures were damaged by the Reapers. It is likely that communicating with anyone would be next to impossible with all of the repairs that need to be done."

Oriana smile returned as she nodded in agreement. "I suppose you are right."

They turned a corner and entered the nearly filled cafeteria. Once the Alliance managed to reorganize itself they were able to focus more man power on the search and rescue of civilian lives.

The two sisters got in line when a familiar voice called out to Miranda, capturing her attention immediately.

Miranda smiled as she looked to the right. "Hello Damian." bent over slightly so she could hear the little boy better. "What are you doing here all alone?"

"Craig had to help the doctor with stuff." The child tried his best to explain.

"Oh, well are you hungry?" Miranda's voice was so motherly that it almost made her sister chuckle.

The small boy nodded. "Yeah, Craig said he would get supper with me after he did doctor things. But I have not seen him."

The way that the little boy mispronounced some of his words melted Miranda's heart. He was so innocent and tiny. "You could eat supper with my sister and me if you like."

The small child looked towards the unknown woman standing beside Miranda. "Your sister?" he asked shyly.

"Hello," Oriana said with a large smile as she knelt down beside the child. "I'm Oriana."

"Hi." The child responded shyly, unsure of the new woman he was meeting.

Miranda offered her hand to the small child. "Come with us and we will get you some food."

Damien took her hand and followed her through the line. The food was a little pricy but due to being a visitor and John being in the Alliance she was given a fair discount. After purchasing their food the trio found a table to sit at.

"So... How old are you Damien?" Oriana asked before she bit into her food.

Damien chewed his food before he answered. "I'm six and a half." His answer was quick and short due to his strawberries and jelly dessert grabbing his attention.

"He's so well manner." Oriana spoke quietly to her sister.

"I'm quite surprised as well, he must have amazing parents." Miranda said quickly before going back to her food, desperately wanting to stave her hunger.

The rest of the meal was quiet due to Miranda's hunger and the six year olds fascination with his jelly.

Oriana started clearing the table once everyone was finished.

"Damien," Miranda chuckled a bit. "You have stuff all over your face."

"oops." He said before he tried to wash his face, missing most of the food.

Miranda smiled and laughed a little before she grabbed a napkin and knelt beside the child. "Here, let me help you." She carefully and gently wiped off what food she could. "We might need to get you to a sink." She said with a light laugh. "Come with me." She led the small boy by hand to a nearby fountain. Miranda damped the napkin before wiping the remainder of the food off his face and tossing the napkin.

"Thank you." Damien said with a smile.

"You welcome." Miranda returned the smile.

"I see you got him cleaned up." Oriana said once she finished clearing the table.

"Yeah, Could you watch him while I go get food for John?"

"Yeah, I can do that."

"Thank you." Miranda said as she quickly got back in line for food.

Oriana and Damien sat down on a nearby bench as they waited for Miranda.

"Can I ask you a question?" Damien asked after a short while.

"Yeah, sure, go ahead." Oriana said with a light smile.

"Who is John?"

"That's Miranda's boyfriend."

"Oh," The small boy nodded. "Is he okay?"

"He was hurt in the battle but he will be okay."

The child's eyes lit up. "Does he know Commander Shepard?"

"He might." Oriana said with a giggle.

"There you are Damien." A young man said as he walked over to Damien and Oriana.

"Do you know him?" Oriana asked quietly.

"Yeah, his name is Craig." The Child replied

The young man smiled charmingly. "Oh, I see Damien made a very attractive friend."

"Seriously," Miranda said as she returned with a tray of food. "You're hitting on my sister now."

Craig sighed. "She just had to be your sister."

Oriana raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"He hit on Ashley and me within the first ten seconds of seeing us." Miranda elaborated.

Craig brushed a hand through his hair and chuckled awkwardly. "Yeah, fun times. Well I have get Damien some food and get him back to his room."

"Miranda already got food for me." The child said as he smiled at the woman.

"Well it's nearly eleven, I should get you back to your room." Craig replied quickly.

"Do I have too?" The boy said with a bit of sadness. "I want to talk with Miranda and Oriana."

Oriana smiled lightly. "I could see to it that he gets back to his room, I wouldn't mind."

Craig nodded. "Sure, that's fine with me. So, is there any chance that I could get either one of your numbers?"

Oriana rolled her eyes. "No, not in the slightest, let's go Damien." Oriana said as she grabbed Damien's hand.

"Is Miranda coming?" Damien asked.

"No," Miranda answered. "I have to go take care of my _boyfriend_." She emphasised the word boyfriend as she looked at Craig.

"Oh, okay." The child waved as he said. "Bye."

"I will see you soon."Oriana said as she looked over her shoulder at Miranda before they parted ways.

 **A Distant Memory...**

The dim lighting in the damp cell made the crude writing on the toilet paper nearly illegible. A name along with a brief, uncertain and convoluted autobiography was all that was written. But it meant more than life it's self. It held some sense of person that was often lost within these walls. It made the small room feel less empty. Reading the bloody words would make anyone feel a sense of nostalgia and longing for a person one has never met. To remember every word, every detail of the writing was the only way to stay sane.

The constant torture turned an individual into a shadow suspended on dust, a spectre capable of taking up space but not really being there. This place could turn the most complex person into something simple, hollow, and nameless. This wasn't a prison; it was a cocoon that could turn anyone into a dangerous weapon... something less than human.

The door unlocked, muscles tightened, the note was hidden, the door opened and voices spoke.

"Gas it; I don't want any screw ups like last time."

"We can't keep doing this, so many of them have died. It's too strenuous on the patients."

"You mean the vermin, my experiments? They're mine... to do with as I please."

"This is execrable, the loss of life that is put into this!"

"They got what they deserved, everyone does. Besides, they served a higher purpose; the research is almost done, subject five and twenty five show promising results."

"We have crossed the line, this isn't research anymore."

"You're right, this isn't research... this is perfection. Super soldiers without emotions and personalities, imagine the possibilities... or have you already forgot our mission."

"I haven't forgotten the mission, but we're crossing lines."

"You're soft Kruger. That's why I have surpassed you in every way imaginable"

"This is sickening."

"This is my will..."

 **Earth - Refugee camp...**

Their memories of the prison cells and torture chambers became clearer once fresh context was applied. The hatred within them didn't feel misplaced anymore; it now felt stronger and more concentrated than ever before.

"Are you done reading?" Andrew asked as he placed the data pad down.

"Yes." Dasha replied as she stood up and set the data pad on to the table. "We can't leave any evidence behind." She walked over to a nearby duffle bag and rummaged around. She came back to the couch with a vambrace in hand. Dasha fiddled with the piece of armour until she pulled two long wires out of it. Sliding the point ends of the wires into the data pad gave her time to look at the picture that was attached to her file. The woman in the picture had died long ago. Although her flesh and name lived on, she was gone. Dasha Volkov, Alliance sniper, loving wife, and the first victim of subject twenty five.

She put the vambrace on and with a few movements of her wrist an electrical current ran through the wires. Dasha Volkov was gone, but her vengeance would live on.

 **Earth - Hospital...**

Miranda's heels clicked as she got closer to Shepard's room. She could feel a migraine creeping up on her due to a lack of sleep. A smile crossed her lips as she got closer to the door, and closer to taking a nap.

"Freeze, you're under arrest."A voice yelled from behind once she was a few steps away from the door.

Miranda rolled her eyes and sighed as she slowly turned around to see five men dress in Alliance uniforms. Four of them were wearing the standard Alliance armor while the fifth was wearing a formal looking uniform, from the various medal she could tell that he was likely an admiral. "You are wasting your time; Admiral Hackett gave me amnesty for all of my past crimes." She turned away and headed towards the door until a bullet whizzed past her face.

Nearby doctors and nurses fled at the sound of the gun shot.

"I couldn't care less about what my colleague decided." The suited man said as he lowered his gun.

Lawson gave the suited man a defiant look. "I'm not going with you."

"Fine, we will do it the hard way."

The armed men quickly approached her. Their guns relax in their hands due to the thought that only a crazy woman would fight back.

A man walked behind her and pulled one of her wrist behind her back, the tray spilled onto the floor. The Alliance solider went to grab her other wrist when Miranda turned into his grasp, her elbow smashed into his exposed neck. She used her biotics to push the other men back. But due to a lack of sleep and training she only managed to make the men stubble a bit.

The admiral man gave Lawson a stare that was dark as night. "Kill her."

The armored men switched the safety off and pointed their guns at her.

Miranda apologized to Shepard in her head as she prepared herself. Her breathing slowed as she waited for them to squeeze the trigger. If she tried to make a barrier it wouldn't last long, she needed to be exact.

As her biotics started to flare, the men lowered their guns, got down on one knee, and bowed their heads in respect. "Commander Shepard, sir."

Lawson turned around to find Shepard leaning heavily on an IV stand.

He felt broken down, weak, a soldier that barely escaped death. But to the men in front of him he was much more than that. He was the hero conquered death and pushed back the darkness, he was above authority.

Miranda bolted over to John's side to support him.

With one arm around Lawson, he used his free hand to salute the Alliance soldiers. "At ease."

The soldiers got off their knees and lower their guns.

"Shepard, you should still be in bed." Miranda managed to keep the concern out of her voice and opted for a more scolding tone.

"I'm fine." He muttered quietly to her.

"Commander Shepard." The Admiral scowled at the commander.

"Admiral Grayson."

"Why am I not surprised that you of all people would be harbouring a criminal?"

"I'm not a criminal." Miranda said with vexation. "Admiral Hackett gave me a pardon."

Grayson ignored her. "Stand aside Shepard."

"No." Shepard's voice was weaker than normal but it still held a strong sense of conviction.

Miranda leaned into Shepard's ear. "John you're in no con..."

The commander spoke over her. "She is under my protection."

"I don't think that will be a problem." Grayson said as he rolled his eyes. "Men, arrest the commander and kill Miss Lawson."

The soldiers kept their guns down and looked at each other with uncertainty.

"Arrest Admiral Grayson." Shepard spoke up. "He's ignoring the words of another Admiral and doesn't have any of the proper authorizations."

"If you listen to him I will see to it that all of you are dishonorably discharged." Grayson said sternly.

"After you lock him up, talk to Admiral Hackett, you'll be fine."

The men gave each other a conflicted look before saluting Shepard. "Sir, yes sir."

The Alliance soldier turned on Grayson and cuffed him. "You will regret this Shepard."

"I doubt it."

One of the soldiers saluted as the others dealt with Grayson. "It was an honor to meet you sir."

Shepard gave a quick nod and said. "Thank you." The pain of standing was becoming unbearable.

The soldier then turned to Miranda. "Sorry for the confusion..."

"Yeah, sure, it's fine." Lawson responded quickly, more concerned about the wellbeing of Shepard than some apology.

The soldier's escorted Grayson out of the building while Miranda carefully helped Shepard into his room.

"John you shouldn't be out of bed, you could have torn something." Concern finally entered Miranda's voice as she helped Shepard into his bed.

"I couldn't just lay here and do nothing."

"And I can't have you dying after I put you back together again."

Shepard grunted as he lied down in the bed. "I wouldn't be able to live with myself if you died and I didn't do anything to stop it."

"And you think I could if you died because of me!" Miranda huffed as she sat down beside Shepard. "I need to check your wounds."

Lawson went to help him with his gown until he quickly caught her hand and softly kissed the back if it.

She smiled at him and kissed his lips. "Get some rest."

He chuckled lightly. "Yeah I don't plan on moving anytime soon."

Miranda smiled and kissed his cheek before carefully removing his gown. "Good because I need you to get better."

Shepard chuckled lightly. "Oh and why is that."

"Because there are... things, I want to do with you that we can't until you are better." Miranda whispered softly in his ear.

"We could always just do them now." Shepard said with a devilish smile as he sat up and kissed her lips.

Miranda easily pushed him down with one hand. "You can barely sit up."

Shepard nodded. "Good point."

"I only want the best and you are not at your best." She kissed his temple and started checking his wounds.

"Fuck" Shepard cursed under his breath as Miranda pressed gently on his ribs.

Lawson muttered an apology as she quickly finished checking all of his injuries. "You're wounds are fine."

"See, I knew what I was doing."

"That would be a first." Miranda mumbled to herself as she lied down beside Shepard.

Shepard grabbed the bottom of her chin and turned her faced towards his. "What did you say?" He asked in his authoritative voice.

Waves of desire and pleasure ran down her spine at the sound of his voice and the light pressure on her throat. She loved this side of him. It was a special kink they shared that she never even knew she had until that night at the casino. The way his hands felt on her body and the way he ordered the waiter around made her thoughts turn lustful. She was so caught up in the moment that she commented on it before John spun the wheel, later that night he obviously remember the comment and it became part of their sex life.

She wanted to keep going but she knew that it was a bad idea. "John we can't," She lightly pulled on his hand and he released her throat. "Oriana's on her way here and your still injured."

Shepard side lightly. "You are killing me." He said with a light smile before he kissed her lips. "You're right though."

Miranda smiled back at him. "I normally am."

They gazed lovingly at each for a short time until the door opened.

"I heard that there was quite..." Doctor Michel froze as she saw the commander in bed naked with his hands caressing Miranda's body. "I can, ugh come back later."

Miranda blushed lightly as she sat up, "No, its fine we were just talking."

"Oh, um okay." The Doctor was a bit flustered but stayed any way. "I heard from some people that the Alliance showed up and there was shooting."

"Yeah an Alliance admiral decided that my pardon wasn't valid." Miranda said in vexation.

The doctor sighed.

John sat up a bit. "I made sure that he has been taken into custody; he shouldn't be causing anymore issues."

The doctor raised an eyebrow. "You're supposed to be in bed."

"That's what I told him." Miranda as said she rubbed John's hand softly.

"Did you check his wounds?"

"Yes, he's fine."

Michel nodded. "That's good to hear."

A doctor tapped Michel's shoulder and whispered something to her.

"Things have come up and I need to get going, tell me if anything like this happens again."

The couple nodded and the doctor quickly left the room.

Shepard sat up and pulled Miranda into his arms once the door closed.

Miranda sighed in content as she felt the warmth of his arms wrap around her. "I still have to get you some food."

Shepard kissed her neck as he tried to relax her body. "I will call a nurse and get them to bring me something."

"It will taste horrible, you do know that?"

Shepard breathed in the scent of her skin and hair. "I think having you here is more important."

"Is that so?" Miranda smiled as she turned around and kissed him softly.

"Yeah, helps with morale."

Miranda chuckled. "Glad I could help." She stretched out her limbs and slipped off her shoes with a sigh. "I could ask Ori to get you something."

"That would be great." Shepard whispered as the couple held each other close.

Miranda felt her eyes lids getting heavy, her head snuggled into John's shoulder. "I love you." She mumbled softly. "So please be careful, for me."

"I will try my best." He brushed the hair out of her face. "I love you too."

He kissed her temple and she sighed in content as sleep took over control.

 **AN: Just wanted to remind everyone that leaving a review really helps with writing. It helps to know what people like and don't about the plot and style of writing. Without that feedback I don't really know where to go with the story. So leave a review, tell me what you like, what you don't like or what can be improved, it really helps me to know that I'm on the right track. The next chapter will deal a lot with Garrus and his group so I can progress the other plot lines.**

 **Sincerely: Chosen Undead27**


	9. Waste

**Normandy Crash site – Abandoned ship...**

One of the buttons on the elevator flashed green once the key card was used. "Looks like we only have access to the crew's quarters on the second floor." Garrus sighed in annoyance.

"There might be more key cards in the crew's quarters. All of the staff would've had to pass through there at some point in time." Tali tried desperately to fill the group with a false sense of optimism that even she fail to grasp on to.

"It's better than being stranded here." Garrus pressed the button for the second floor and the doors slid shut like the lid of a sarcophagus.

The elevator shook as it started moving almost like the elevator itself did not want to see the horrors that lurked within the shadows. Everyone aboard the tiny metal casket was silent, anxiously harkening to the subtle creaking that surrounded them.

The upwards movement stopped with a jarring and unapologetic aggression that rivaled the calming depression that was slowly settling in like a tumor growing upon their brains. No one dared to breathe or move as the evaluator remained motionless.

When the door opened they were exposed to something that exhausted the fathomable level of fear that anyone could feel. The wall on the far left had a large hole in it allowing the moonlight to leak into the darken room. Moon light glistened off of the carnivorous insects that coated the bloody floor; their sharp pincers ripped the flesh off of the various animal carcasses that littered the floor. A putrid smell of decay and Iron hung in the air. Claw marks covered the blood stained walls.

"Jesus Christ..." One of the soldiers muttered as they saw the bugs scurry around with large chunks of flesh and muscle.

The bugs hissed and scurried into the darker corner of the room. The floor was stick y from years of decomposed bodies and rotting blood coating the floor. On either sides of the elevator was a door that led into what was presumed to be the crews' sleeping quarters. The main room was what appeared to be a cafeteria, in the back of the main room there was a large cafeteria. The strangely clean kitchen in the cafeteria clashed with the defiled and dirty state of the rest of the room.

"Does anyone else notice the rather weirdly clean kitchen?" James said as he shone his light into the area in question.

"Stay sharp," Garrus ordered. "It could be a trap."

They slowly approached the kitchen, their feet stuck to the floor and peeled away with a disturbing sound.

The far cabinet door shook lightly as the group got closer to the kitchen.

Garrus gave a signal towards the cabinet. "We got movement over here." The Turian whispered.

With a quick series of hand motions, Garrus ordered his squad to prepare to breach the large sliver cabinet. Two soldiers stood at the sides, ready to open the doors. The rest of the team had their guns trained on the doors. Garrus counted down with his fingers, the air grew thicker with tension as his fingers went down from three. They tore open the doors as soon as Garrus's last finger went down.

Something stumbled out of the closet causing the jumpy and the trigger happy to shoot at whatever fell out of the closet.

"Cease fire!" Garrus shouted repeatedly until everyone stopped shooting.

The Turian knelt down beside the skinny and shaking man that fell out of the closet. "Are you all right?"

"Waste... waste, such a waste." The man muttered quietly.

"Sir?" Garrus shook the man's arm lightly.

"Who are you?" The man looked like he was in a daze.

Garrus waved the medic over. "Take a look at him."

"Are you the rescue team? No, can't be. No signal. Waste... waste, such a waste." The man rambled, his black clothing torn in various places.

"My name is Garrus; I'm working with the Alliance."

The man snickered to himself quietly. "Funny, they tried to hide us yet you still found us."

"Who tried to hide you? Was it Black watch?" Garrus asked cautiously.

The man covered his mouth to stop his laughter. "So you are here by accident, yes? No one would want to come here, this land on has nothing but soulless corpses to offer before it consumes you." A short wave of chuckling escaped his dry lips.

"We have a ship, all we need is a part from your engine and we are getting out of here." James said defensively. Something about this little man made James feel on edge.

The man chuckled again. "That will be rather useless but I guess I could help. I don't want you going to waste, there is already too much." His eerie dry laugh echoed through the room.

"Are you an engineer, can you get us to the engine room?" Tali asked.

"No, I'm the cook... or at least I was."

James rolled his eyes. "Great, we're get stuck in a death trap and the only person that can help us is a fry cook."

"I know my way around the beasts better than anyone."

"What about the key cards, do you know where any of those are?" Garrus asked.

"Yes, I have a few in case I needed to travel." The cook said as he eyed a bug that was getting close to the kitchen.

"Which floors?"

"Fourth floor, but from there you can get to the can get to the fifth."

"How do you know that?" James spoke up.

"I had to get supplies." The cook answered quickly.

A strange silence took over the room not even the insects made a noise.

"Silence..." The cook muttered. "Hide..." He raised his voice to a near shout. "Hide for you lives." The cook ran over to the cabinet and hid inside.

"What the hell." James said as he watched the cook scurry to his hiding spot.

A loud scratching could be heard from outside.

"Eyes up." Garrus commanded. "We have tangos incoming."

The sound suddenly disappeared, allowing an aggressive silence to take over.

"Form up." Garrus ordered. "We can leave through the elevator, it's best to avoid a fight."

Their sprits and hearts were lifted as they made it closer to the elevator but the vicissitudes of fate were determined to see death. There was a loud crunching and scraping noise as a giant beasts pulled itself into the ship from the opening in the wall. The beast had cold moist scales that had damp coarse hair protruding from its hard scale hide. It unleashed an ear piercing screeching noise that caused some of the men closer to it to fall over in pain as their ears bled. The beast swung it long arm out, tearing through flesh and armour like it was tissue paper.

James unloaded his gun into the beasts face. It roared angrily and struck James with the back of his hand, sending him backwards.

Garrus tried to shoot a concussive but the monster tossed the dead remains of a soldier at him, knocking him to the floor.

Its long sharp tail impaled a solider that was backing up and tossed it at Talia. She quickly ducked behind a table.

Garrus slide the remains off of him and started to stand up when the beasts pinned him down with it long claws and hissed into his face. Its breath smelled of blood and death. It pulled back its head, ready to deliver the final blow. Garrus closed his eyes and waited for death. He felt a warm fluid splash his face as the hand on top of him loosened before the beast fell over. The Turian opened his eyes to see a long metal pole skewered the creatures head, blood dripped from its mouth and the large holes in its head. He felt a large weight being lifted off of him as the beast was pulled off of him to reveille Liara.

"You're a sight for sore eyes." Garrus said as The Asari helped him off of the floor.

"Chakwas told me to gather some men and check up on you."

"I'm glad she did."

"Garrus!" Tali called from across the ship. "James is hurt, bad."

The Turian ran over to them with a slight limp, Liara in tail.

James grunted in pain, a long pipe had impaled him from behind.

"Medic!" Garrus yelled as he knelt beside James.

The medic stumbled over to them drunkenly before falling to his knees.

"Doc, are you okay?" James asked trough gritted teeth.

The medic opened his mouth and paused for a long second, his eye vacant of emotions. He spat out a mouth full of blood before crashing onto the floor. Brain matter leaked out of the large hole in the side of his head.

"Fuck." James muttered as he wiped the blood off of his face. "What do we do now?"

Garrus shrugged. "If we leave you here you will surely die..."

"And if you take in out I will die quicker." James sighed.

Garrus nodded somberly.

Vega charged up his omni tool. "Fuck this." With one quick slash he cut the front end of the pipe off.

"By the goddess," Liara said in shock. "What are you doing?"

"I'm not fucking dying in here, someone cut the back end."

Garrus sighed. "Fine it's the only option we have." He fired up his omni blade and cut the back end of the pipe, freeing James.

James groaned with pain. "Let's get the fuck out of here."

Garrus carefully helped James up off of the ground. "We should get you back to..."

"No," James pushed Garrus away a bit. "If we go back now we won't make it out of here."

"I can take him back." Liara interjected.

"And leave everyone else to die," James moved away from Liara. "Fat chance, they need a biotic with them if they want to get through this."

"And you need a doctor." Liara shot back.

"I'm fine, can we just get this done."

Garrus sighed. "Fine, arguing with you will only slow us down."

"Finally," James grunt. "Let's get going."

Garrus did a quick head count. Six dead, four missing, and four including James were badly wounded.

The ground below the ship was splattered with the organs and paste like remains of the unlucky few who were threw out of the ship by a beast.

"I Think I found the missing men." Talia said as she looked down at the remains being eaten by small carnivorous animals.

James grunted as he adjusted his armour. "What about the old guy."

"Go the fuck away." The man in question yelled from his tiny hiding place.

Garrus sighed. "You will die here."

"I was fine before you came here. I have not turned to waste, not like your comrades."

"What if we come back for you after our mission?" Tali asked.

The old man was quite for a while. "I could agree to that, although you won't make it." He cackled to himself while in the closet. "Waste litters the floor. You will be part of it, soon enough."

"Let's get the fuck out of here." James grumbled as he limped towards the elevator.

The men and women helped each other with orders for Garrus. The wounded were rounded up and patched up as much as possible.

The ones that could still fight tended to those that were much worse off.

"How many of us can't fight anymore." Garrus asked one of the men who stood to the side.

"Ten or eleven depending on who you ask..." The solder gave James a dirty look.

Garrus' mandibles twitched as he stood there in a loss of words, he was now leading a suicide mission.

 **AN: This story is not dead, I'm just busy. The next chapter will be much longer and will finish up this plot line and then things will get much more interesting.**


	10. Waste 2

Normandy Crash Site – Abandoned Ship – Cargo bay

Garrus, Liara, Tali, and a few soldiers were the only ones in the elevator. The Journey to the CIC weakened James to the point that he agreed to wait with the rest of the wounded. The elevator jerked aggressively and opened to revile the nearly empty cargo bay. The only living spectre insight was dirt and plant life that had made a home in the long neglected cargo bay.

"Check the corners." Garrus commanded as the slowly walked down the long halls of crates. Muscles started to relax as they slowly came to realize that there was nothing in sight. Only the occasional paw print could be found upon the floor.

Their boots clanked against the metal floor of the ship until they slowly came to a stop, the large opening in the floor causing them to stop.

"It looks like this is the way down." Garrus said as he peaked down the hole.

Tali sent a glowing combat drone down the hole, giving light to a box that could help them descend into the darkness.

With careful and nervous footing they descended into the next floor. The crates formed a small valley that enveloped them like the very darkness around them. Death with his black shadow had slowed the down time within the valley of darkness turning seconds into everlasting hours. The cool air of the ship had hidden the warm breath that lurked behind them, death smiling as he would claim new victims in this haunted land of misery and rot.

It waited for several long moments in the shadows, holding its breath as it waited harkening to the sounds of boots hitting the ground and the everlasting tick tock of death's clock.

Thus when the beast was sure that the tiny morsels had entered the shadowed valley, it knew it was feeding time. With a loud snarl it threw itself into the shadowed valley, claws scratching on the metal making an ear piercing noise as sparks flew in every direction, the beast barreled down the valley of crates.

"Beast on our six!" One of the soldiers yelled from the back line as the beast tore into his brother in arms.

The monster plowed its way through the men, limbs and blood coated the floor. Liara turned around and stared the beast in the eye. Biotic energy surged through her as she prepared to throw a singularity at it. The eyes of the beast glowed with biotic power as it charged. Liara suddenly felt weak in the knees and tired, unable to conger up the strength to fight or move. The beast continue it rampage, barreling towards the squad.

"Liara!" Garrus yelled before shooting a concussive round at the beast.

The beast stumbled to the side; its long razor like tail flew out to the side as it fell to the floor. Garrus ran to its side and unloaded his rifle in to its eye. Warm blood and bits of eyeball splashed his face. It whimpered it pain as it went through its death throws

A soft whimper could be heard as the beast fell silent. Liara lied upon the floor, her leg's tore off of her body.

"Liara!" Garrus shouted as he scrambled to her side.

Normandy Crash site – Abandoned Ship – Crew's Quarters

Private Megan Kyle's eye fluttered open as she slowly woke up in darkness. She struggled to move but her arms and legs were bound and her mouth was taped shut. The small metal confines of whatever she was in made struggling difficult and her body heat up quickly.

A door opened as she was dragged out of the closet, the old man's finger brushed her lips. "Shush child, stress spoils meat and we would not want you to turn to waste now."

He snickered as he tied her down to the stainless steel kitchen table.

She struggled and tried to scream but it was all in vain. The old man smiled gleefully as he sharpened his cleaver. "Waste not, want not." He chuckled eerily as he licked his dry lips.

The man hobbled over to drawer full of razor sharp knives and cleavers, the tools of his trade.

"In culinary school you learn a lot of things." He spoke calmly as he honed his knives. "One of those lessons always stuck with me and wormed its way into my brain day and night, very lesson revolved around this simple moral." He looked down the edge of his blade, inspecting it. "Never waste food, especially meat."

Megan struggled in her bindings as fear washed over her.

"So, when I saw how these beasts ripped apart my comrades, I was disgusted. They were not treated as prey or food, but waste." He gritted his teeth. "Flesh was ripped and torn carelessly, little thought or consideration was taken into the dissection of the meat! It sickened me. And thus I came to conclusion that I would let no one go to waste ever again." He gave a hearty laugh. "It was hard at first, butchering the corpse of my friends, but it slowly got easier over time, so much so that I became comfortable enough to season and spice the flesh before consumption."

Megan started to cry as her binding started cutting into her skin. Her heart threatened to burst out of her chest. "You sick fuck."

"Sick fuck, twisted bastard, freak, disgusting pig, why can't any of you come up with better names." The old man chuckled. "A broken record the lot of ya." He slowly raised the blade to her broken leg and peeled the skin off with the knife making her scream in pain.

Normandy Crash Site – Abandoned Ship – Cargo Bay...

Liara held on to Garrus' arms tightly as Talia and a couple of others from the squad worked endlessly to patch up her severed legs.

The Asari cursed profusely as they sealed her wounds with medi – gel and gauze.

"I think that should hold." Talia muttered as she slowly backed away from her dying friend.

The Asari's face was pale and sickly before she lost consciousness.

Garrus checked her heart beat, comforted by the steady pulse. "She's fine, just exhausted."

"I can escort Dr. T'soni to the CIC." One of the soldiers spoke up.

Garrus nods. "You three," He points to some other soldiers. "Go with him."

They nod and the small group head into the elevator while Garrus and his team delve deeper into the floor they are on, finding cages and research documents amongst the dead.

Slowly piecing together the true horrors of the confines they were in and learning that some stories are better left for the dead.

Normandy Crash Site – Abandoned Ship – CIC...

It never added up, the amount of blood, the limbs. None of them were hers, it didn't make any sense. The excuse that the swarms of bugs and other ghastly creature ate her so fast seemed like a poor excuse, a laughable reason to not explore the dark.

James slowly stood up from his spot, his body angry with him.

"Sir!?" One of the men was quickly by his side. "What are you doing, you need to rest."

He shook his head. "No, something isn't right we need to go back."

"Sir, you're not thinking straight."

"Well I guess you better come with me." He says bluntly as he pushes past him.

By the time he got to the elevator he had gather a small force to take them down the elevator.

Normandy Crash Site – Abandoned Ship – Laboratory...

They had searched high and low, finding nothing but dirty secrets and corpses that looked as if they were still trying to cling to life. Things started to look bleak. The operation was starting to look like a failure. The door was sealed tight and welded shut, they couldn't find anything to help them get any closer to the part they needed.

Maybe this was the end, they would all die here, lost and never found. Some ghoulish beast would consume their innards as they screamed for mercy.

They hear a bunch of foot-steps slowly creep up on them, the sounds of claws scarping along the metal floor. "Need a hand with that." James said out of the darkness.


End file.
